Apple launched the new iPad, the third generation of its category-defining mobile device.

With the breakthrough Retina display, 5-megapixel iSight camera, and ultrafast wireless, the new iPad is more immersive than ever before. Surf the web, check your email, flip through photos, watch a movie, play a game, thumb through a book or magazine, and more. iPad gives you a smarter, more intuitive, more fun way to do everyday things—and thanks to 200,000 apps in the App Store, things you can’t even imagine.¹

Key Features

• 9.7-inch Retina display with Multi-Touch
• Dual-core A5X chip with quad-core graphics
• 5MP iSight camera and FaceTime camera²
• 1080p HD video recording
• Up to 10 hours of battery life³
• Built-in Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n)
• Cellular data service on Wi-Fi + 4G models (sold separately)
• Available in black or white
• iOS 5 and iCloud⁴

iPad 2 16GB W-Fi and Wi-Fi + 3G models are still available at new lower prices.

¹ App count refers to the total number of apps worldwide.

² FaceTime video calling requires a FaceTime-enabled device and Wi-Fi connection for both caller and recipient. Not available in all areas.

³ Battery life varies by use and configuration. See www.apple.com/batteries for more information.

⁴ iCloud requires iOS 5 on iPhone 3GS or later, iPod touch (3rd and 4th generation), or iPad; a Mac computer with OS X Lion; or a PC with Windows Vista or Windows 7. Some features require a Wi-Fi connection. Some features are not available in all countries. Access to some services is limited to 10 devices.

On March 11th Apple will begin shipping the iPad 2. While retaining 10 hours of battery life and a month of standby, Apple has added cameras, faster CPUs, a gyroscope and a dual-core CPU. In fact the pricing is staying the same as the original iPad.

The new iPad 2 is thinner than your iPhone 4 at just 8.8mm think. The iPad 2 will have a new chip Apple calls the A5, which features Dual-core processors, up to 2X faster then the A4 chip, up to 9X faster graphics and has the same low power requirements as the previous iPad.

It will ship in both Black and a White version and be available for both AT&T and Verizon.

The new iPad 2 will now have a true 1080p HDMI video output, that will work with all apps and supports rotation.

Can you identify what this is? Use the comments below to enter your guess.

This was one of my favorite games growing up. Until I took it apart and made a whole new toy out of it. There were several games built in, but the main task was to remember and repeat an ever expanding sequence of lights and sounds. I did find an “unofficial” version for the iPhone, it isn’t exactly the same, but still fun and addictive.

These days most headsets are designed for cell phones or computer/console games. Thus their sound quality leaves something to be desired. In my years as a Macintosh consultant, I have come across hundreds of headsets, microphones and headphones and found a few to be adequate for a specific task. So sitting next to my Mac are three microphones, two headsets, and a couple headphones. Why so many, you ask? Each one is needed for a specific task. I need one microphone with good sound quality for doing voice overs in Final Cut and iMovie, but it is just too bulky to use every day with iChat. I have the same problem with headphones for iTunes and Soundtrack Pro, the good ones are just not comfortable for everyday use. You get the picture.

When I received the “.Audio 85″ from Plantronics, I thought to myself “great one more set of headphones to clutter my workspace.” But then I did a little research and found out that a Plantronics headset was used for Neil Armstrong’s historic “One small step for man, one giant leap for mankind” transmission from the moon in 1969. So I figured, I should give it a try, as a company who has been around since 1962 might know what they are doing.
First off, something on the packaging caught my eye. “Designed for use with iMac, PowerMac, PowerBook, iPod” was displayed proudly on the front. In fact the largest type on the package says “Foldable Stereo Mac Headset.” For you Windows users, this may not be a big deal, but to Mac users a product designed specifically for us is wonderful.
After opening that package, I thought they had forgot something as there was no software CD. I soon found out,audio85_settings that isn’t a problem. I plugged it into an available USB port, went to iChat and select “Plantronics Headset” for both Sound output and Microphone. Next I clicked on the phone icon next to a name in my buddy list and a few seconds later I was talking to someone in another country.
audio85_ichat_sidebar The sound quality was amazing, far better than any other headset so far, in fact the person on the other end of the chat commented that it sounded much better than normal. That must be the noise-canceling microphone at work. On the cord there is a mute control and volume control, so you don’t need to keep iChat’s windows displayed. The adjustable headband and microphone fit comfortably and was very lightweight.
I next tested the microphone for quality, by recording audio with my professional microphone and then recording the same dialog with the .Audio 85′s built-in microphone. I never expected it to match the quality of a high-end mike, but I was hard pressed to tell the difference between the two recordings.
So far it has eliminated the need for two mikes and a headset. Let see how it does with replacing a pair of stereo headphones. I listened to a CD and a few MP3 files while it was still plugged into the USB port. Next I unplugged the .Audio 85 from the included “USB plug & play” adaptor and connect it directly to my iPod. The sound quality with both setups was amazing. The headset even folds into a about a quarter of its expanded size.
The .Audio 85 comes with a leatherette carrying pouch for storing and travel. The .Audio 85 has a suggested retail price of $79.99 and is available at Apple’s online and Retail Store as well as other retail outlets where Apple products are sold. Plantronics’ web site should be updated with information about the new headset by the time you are reading this article. I can definitely recommend the .Audio 85 headset for any Macintosh user, that needs a microphone or a headset or a pair of stereo headphones or any combination thereof. I liked it so well that I have already ordered a second pair to add take along with my PowerBook.