Facebook might be looking to challenge Instagram’s crown as the reigning king of iOS photo sharing apps.

Evidence within the iOS 5 Beta suggests that Apple’s planning a future iPad with a Retina Display, but before we all get excited and take this as confirmation that the iPad 3 will pack a 2048 x 1536 display, let’s remember that we’ve heard all of this before.

In the last few years a kind of cat and mouse game has evolved between Apple Legal and some of the more daring (and creative) members of the Cult of Apple: tempting fate by selling Steve Jobs collectibles, and risking the wrath of Apple. How long before your Cease & Desist letter arrives?

Here are some of the more popular items created in the past few years.

Earlier today, Apple’s former VP of Retail Ron Johnson shocked everyone by ending his eleven year career in Cupertino to become CEO of JC Penney, a middle-of-the-road department store chain which sells clothing like this.

At Apple, Johnson famously invented the Apple Store concept, defined by each location’s uniiform low-key community vibe, easily accessible solution stations, troubleshooting Genius Bars and uncluttered and austerely aesthetic layouts. At JC Penney, however, Johnson will largely have to reinvent the 1,100 retail stores he’s already got… and what he’s got sure isn’t pretty. Check out this small sample of JC Penney department stores currently blighting the American landscape.

It seems ages ago when folks were yukking it up with the feminine hygiene tees about the newly-baptized “iPad.” That name now seems so associated with Apple that it’s hard to imagine it with anything else.

What about iCloud? This simple moniker was in the air, as it were, since Apple bought the .com domain from Xcerion who used it for their CloudMe software, (now available over at www.cloud.me).

The website of iCloud Communications (see below) just set its lawyers on Apple for trademark infringement over the name which the Dallas company says it has been using since 2005.

Last week I posted here about the lack of mention of iWeb and MobileMe website hosting in any of Apple’s communications about its forthcoming switch to iCloud.

I’d understand it not being mentioned by Steve on stage, but I expected to see at least some sort of help document somewhere. But no, nothing.

Over at GigaOm, Alex Layne asked the question: if Apple killed the Finder, would you miss it?

Hell yes. Yes I would.

Is this 3D-capable tablet spotted at the annual Display Taiwan expo a prototype for the iPad 3?

It certainly looks like one: the 9.7-inch form factor and chassis design are a dead giveaway, even though the actual manufacturer of the tablet is hidden by tape.

Here is a photo of a new week view in the native iOS 5 calendar app. That app now features a scrolling landscape view of the users calendar, but the view changes depending on whether or not you are using an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad.

Reports are mounting that Apple is planning on launching the new version of Final Cut Pro as soon as next week. Following the leaked screenshots of Final Cut Pro X that hit the web last week, one Japanese blog now says that Apple will release its professional video production software as soon as next week.