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iPad 2 event live: It begins!

19:10

That’s all folks! No “One More Thing”, but we’re impressed with what we’ve seen tonight. Next stop, iPhone 5 unveiling…

19:05


Watching a video that summarises the whole thing. The white one looks damn nice. A5 has brought the iPad up in line with the dual-core race. It’s been made more comfortable to hold, rigid and sturdy. The smart protectors were made at the same time the iPad was designed and they look a lot better than the previous generation’s cases. FaceTime is getting a quick bit of demo. Rear facing HD video cam.

19:01

Looking at the 8 track element of Garageband. Apart from the dross song that he has made it looks very very good. Volume controls and mixing easy to do, better still, you can share tracks straight to iTunes library or email them directly. “It turns your iPad into a complete recording studio.” Oh and it’s $4.99. (£3)

18:56

This guy is getting way to into making music in Garageband. We have had synth and drums and piano. Looks like the best portable way possible to annoy people…Smart instruments, a way for people who are not good with music to have fun. Don’t need to know anything about music, very simple way of playing songs on the tablet

18:50

Okay, end of iMovie now. Bye bye Randy. iMovie is going to be $4.99 (£3) on March 11th..” Grrraaaage band” for iPad. Includes touch instruments, 8 track recording and mixing. Email files from songs and over 250 loops. Getting demo now from Xander Soren. Basically uses iPad display to let you play instruments etc. Currently getting a bit of piano. “Play a piano with dynamics.” “When you tap it soft or tap it really hard.”

It uses accelerometer to measure force that you hit the display with. Cool.

18:44

iMovie looks pretty serious actually. Precision editor and complex cutting and transition capabilities. Already know that Apple has done a good job with video editors on the Mac, so fingers crossed this will be better than the iPhone option. Hopefully they will let us have a play with it later..

18:43

iOS 4.3 will be a free download on March 11th. And Jobs is back, Introducing another two applications. iMovie for iPad…precision editor and multi-track audio recording…AirPlay direct from app to Apple TV..Randy Ubillos is giving demo of iMovie as we speak. App has a sort of movie theatre home screen that lets you slide between movies.

18:38

Preference for iPad switch: Ways to choose what the switch does on the hardware. iPhone 4 will include a personal hotspot option. Photo booth app, showing off FaceTime between iPads. You can switch cameras to show what it is you are looking at or show yourself on the front-facing cam.

18:32

Getting a demo of iOS 4.3 from a man called Scott. (We think)
Nitro Javascript engine from Mac OS 10 will speed up Safari. (The web browser.) iTunes home sharing; all your music around your house; to “wirelessly stream over home WiFi network to iPhone or iPad or iPod Touch.”

18:30

iPad smart cover. Sits on the back, bends and folds around to watch movies on, etc. Instantly wakes iPad from sleep when you open it and instantly puts it to sleep when you close. Held on by magnets to “grasp and auto-allign it”. Polyuerthane or leather..
Watching video of smart covers now. The are very, very, cool. “One of my favourite videos…Reminds me of a pixar short” Magnets built into the iPad itself.

18:23

Same 10 hour battery with over a month of standby. “Really happy to keep that and never let that go”

18:22

Comes in black and white! And they are shipping white from DAY 1!

18:21

New iPad is 8.8mm – thinner than an iPhone 4! Weighs 1.3 pounds. So its lighter than… something. Conversions coming!

18:20

Gyroscope like in iPhone and iPod Touch. Dramatically thinner. and with two cameras! 33% thinner

18:18

Confirmed; iPad 2, dual core A5 processor. All new design, all-out on graphics performance. Up to 9 times faster

18:17

Video over…Return of the Jobs.. “We have gotten off to an exceptional first year.” “What about 2011, everybody has got a tablet.” “2011 the year of the copycats.”

18:13

“Post-PC device” it can do some things the PC did in a far more personal way. “The iPad has become a global phenomenon.” “On top of that it is finding new uses in places we never imagined”…Talking about using iPad in schools to engage kids…or let them play Angry Birds.

18:11

Jobs is talking about the growing number of Apple stores. We are now being treated to a video called 2010 the year of the iPad. Usual Apple cool/super cheesy vid.

18:09

Over 65000 apps in app store now take full advantage of the iPad. “Consumption apps, creation apps, fantastic games and a lot of apps for business”

18:06

“Our most advanced technology in a magical and revolutionary devices at an unbelievable price” The iPad has “turned out to be magical,” says Jobs. “An unbelievable price…” “Ask our competitors”

“2010 turned out to be the year of the iPad, we sold almost 15 million iPads in 2010”

18:05

Developers have earned over $2 billion from selling apps in app store. “A lot of people have tried to copy this, I think we are way ahead.” “We recently shipped 100 million iPhones.”

18:02

Jobs has arrived on stage, not quite as an impressive applause from television centre. “We have been working on this product for a while and I just didn’t want to miss today” says Jobs.

17:59

Been told to put everything on silent. Also, Apple are showing off how I can buy the Beatles again for the millionth time through iTunes by playing a selection of slightly pants Beatles tunes. “Here Comes the Sun” is not getting me amped for this.
 

17:57

Stream of YBCA Theater in San Fran has popped up on the screen. Plenty of exciteable American tech journos to be seen..not long now!

17:50

Just been told to take our seats as the presentation is about to begin!

17:45

Quick pic to keep you entertained…

17:36

Music has gotten slightly better which is a bonus. Rows of tech journalists with laptops open, tweeting and writing like mad; myself included. No clues as of yet as to what exactly Apple are doing. Three big projectors in front which will presumably be streaming whatever is going on Stateside. They’re currently showing big black Apple logo like that on the back of current iPad.

 

17:23:

Hello everyone! Hunter here from the Recombu team. Currently sat waiting for Apple to get going with announcements.

Plenty of time to go still, expect things to kick off around 6pm. At the moment we are being told no pics…Let’s hope that changes!!

 

The successor to the iPad is expected to be launched tonight, at 6pm at an event in London, and we’ll be there to see it. Nothing is concrete, except that the invite featured a calendar app, lifted away slightly to reveal an iPad background.

Recombu will be at the official launch, live-blogging (and tweeting) Apple’s big event

Speculation-wise, you can see what we’re expecting here, while news earlier today suggests that you may want to “not to get your hopes too high”; that’s according to an Apple staffer talking to Cult of Mac.

The mole said that the iPad 3 will be the game changer. A leak from a Chinese news site has also leaked several more pictures of the rumoured iPad 2, but we’re taking them with a heady dose salt.

Apple have brought the idea of a mainstream tablet device to the masses after their first iPad went on sale a year ago. A whole lot of people (including the experts) were sceptical, but the figures speak for themselves; last year around 15 million iPads were sold.

Now tablets like the Android-powered Motorola Xoom and the HP TouchPad are chasing those tablet shoppers, and this year will see if the iPad can stack up against its first genuine contenders.

We’ll be updating here through-out the day, or you can follow us on Twitter. The big event starts at 6pm.

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