Apple iPad2 Is Available Filed under ( Apple iPad2 Is Available ) by Metzeller

Apple Inc.'s updated version of its iPad tablet computer will be available in stores Friday afternoon but those who can't wait to say they own the gadget can beat the crowds by ordering one online before the sun rises.

The Cupertino company is opening online sales of the iPad 2 at 1 a.m. PST, hours before they will be available in stores nationwide at 5 p.m. local time.

It's hard to predict if many enthusiasts will camp out at Apple stores to be the first to get their hands on the new iPad as they have for previous launches of Apple gadgets.

When the original version of the iPad went on sale in April, Apple said it sold more than 300,000 in the first day. It ended up selling more than 15 million in its first nine months on sale, including 7.3 million to holiday shoppers during the October-December quarter.

The new iPad model comes with several improvements over the original version but the same price tag - $499 to $829, depending on storage space and whether they can connect to the Internet over a cellular network - hobbling efforts by rivals at breaking Apple's hold on the emerging market for tablet computers.

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The iPad 2 looks much like the first iPad, only with a sleeker, lighter body with a curved back. Among changes is the inclusion of cameras, one on the front and one on the back.

With the original iPad, Apple proved there is a large market for a tablet that's less than a laptop and more than a smart phone, yet performs many of the same tasks. Competitors including Dell Inc. and Samsung Electronics Co. have been trying to lure consumers with smaller tablets, without much success. In February, Motorola Mobility Inc.'s Xoom went on sale with a new version of Google Inc.'s Android software that was designed for tablets, not smart phones.

To underscore the importance of the iPad to Apple, company CEO Steve Jobs emerged from a medical leave earlier this month to unveil the new version to bloggers and Apple enthusiasts. Jobs, 56, announced in January that he would take a third leave of absence to focus on his health. In the last decade, he has survived a rare but curable form of pancreatic cancer and undergone a liver transplant.

After its U.S. launch Friday, the iPad 2 goes on sale March 25 in 26 other markets, including Mexico, New Zealand, Spain and other European countries.

Apple iPad and Apple iPad2 Filed under ( Apple iPad and Apple iPad2 ) by Metzeller

Apple finally released their newest gadget, the Apple iPad2 at the starting price of $499 for a 16GB WiFi-only. The original iPad was equipped with a 1GHz single-core A4 processor, however, iPad2 features 1GHz dual-core Apple A5 chip, which means iPad2 is twice faster like an A4 with up to nine times better performance in graphics and games.

Moreover, there is the front and rear cameras for video-chatting via Apple’s FaceTime app and for taking pictures and videos. It is very awesome that the rear camera can shoot video in HD at 720p resolution. The Apple iPad2 is much slimmer by 33% having 8.8mm and a little lighter at just over 600g than the Apple iPad. Apple will start shipping for all iPad variants on March 11.

Facebook Acquires Group Messaging Service Beluga In A Talent AND Technology Deal Filed under ( Facebook Acquires Group Messaging Service Beluga In A Talent AND Technology Deal ) by Metzeller

Facebook has just acquired group messaging service Beluga, we’ve learned.

Here’s what we know: Facebook has acquired both the product and the team, and the plan is apparently to keep the service open for now. With past acquisitions, Facebook has only acquired companies for their talent. But this time it’s apparently a bit different, as they’re interested in both the talent and the technology behind Beluga.

It was barely two months ago that we first wrote about Beluga — when I called it my “group messaging white whale“. Since then I’ve been a non-stop user of the service and figured it would be one of the stand-out stars at SXSW this year. Today changes things a bit, obviously.

But that doesn’t change the fact that the technology behind the product did seem to be rock solid — so this was a good, fast move by Facebook.

And they had to be fast. Beluga had been in the midst of raising an angel round of funding — and the round was getting very competitive, we’d heard in recent weeks. It would seem that Facebook made the small team of three (all of whom are ex-Googlers) an offer they couldn’t refuse.

Yes, Facebook also just acquired more Google talent.

Terms of the deal have not been disclosed, but we do know that the Beluga team will be working with the groups and messaging teams at Facebook.

Here’s Facebook’s statement:

We’re psyched to confirm that we’ve just acquired the talent and assets of Beluga, whose simple and elegant mobile apps blew us away as a solution to help groups of friends stay in touch on the move. We’re looking forward to welcoming co-founders Ben Davenport, Lucy Zhang and Jonathan Perlow, and we’re excited that the team will continue their vision for groups and mobile communication as part of Facebook.

On the topic of it shutting down, Facebook has this to say:

For now, Beluga will continue to function as it does today. Beluga accounts and data will not be lost. We’ll be providing more details on future plans for Beluga in the coming weeks.

To me, this deal makes a lot of sense from Facebook’s perspective. The group messaging space is about to explode and Facebook, with both Groups and Messages, should be at the forefront of it. But in order for that to happen, they need a better mobile experience for each. And with Beluga, they got just that.

The question now is if they roll it fully into the Facebook app experience, or if they use the Beluga technology for a new stand-alone one just based around messages. You’d have to believe it will be the former, but again, they clearly liked what Beluga was doing as a stand-alone product.

Update: And here’s the post on the matter from Beluga:

Beluga is now friends with Facebook

We are happy to announce that Facebook has acquired Beluga!

Since launching Beluga, we’ve appreciated all the enthusiasm and positive feedback from our users. We’re excited to continue to build our vision for mobile group messaging as part of the Facebook team. Beluga and Facebook are committed to create new and better ways to communicate and share group experiences.

For now, Beluga will continue to function as it does today. Your Beluga account and data will not be lost. We’ll be providing more details on future plans for Beluga in the coming weeks. Stay tuned!

Ben, Lucy and Jon
Team Beluga