https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fihOmQY-JxY&feature=player_embedded

Apple’s latest iPad ad, “What is iPad?” is a cheery nod to Apple’s classic “What is Newton?” ad, although I prefer the latter commercial’s droll, humorous tone. Still, when Apple says, “You already know how to use iPad” and then earnestly claims a new revolution has begun, it’s hard not to get a few chills down your spine.

Verizon and Google are reportedly working together on a tablet device designed to rival Apple’s iPad. Although few details were provided, Verizon CEO Lowell McAdam told the Wall Street Journal the device would leverage Google’s large library of content.

“We’re looking at all the things Google has in its archives that we could put on a tablet to make it a great experience,” McAdam told the newspaper. While Google’s Android was not mentioned, Verizon has heavily used the cell phone operating system to compete with Apple’s iPhone. In a similar vein, the Verizon executive admitted the carrier is behind rival AT&T in providing U.S. 3G coverage for the iPad, but said his company will have the majority of its 4G network up by the end of 2010.

McAdams also embraced the concept of tiered-pricing, where heavier users pay more. “The old model of one price plan per device is going to fall away,” he told the paper. AT&T currently offers unlimited data plans for the iPad.

The CEO’s comments come amid speculation Verizon’s CDMA network could gain access to a new iPhone later this year. Verizon’s long-time advertising company reportedly is developing a campaign possibly in preparation of the release of Apple’s fourth-generation iPhone.

[via AppleInsider and Wall Street Journal]

You know, even if you’re a naysayer, you have to admit: Apple data makes for some of the most compelling infographics around, and this infographic from Mashable explaining the rise of Apple as the hegemon of the digital music industry is one of the best we’ve ever seen. Well, at least, one of the best we’ve ever seen that doesn’t involve Mega Sharks.

The full infographic, after the jump.

We start out with another deal on iPod touch – an 8GB iPod touch kit from Walmart. Also on tap are a 24-inch Cinema HD Widescreen LED display and the latest App Store price drops, including “Spike’s Deadliest Warrior: Defend and Conquer” game.

As always, details on these and many other Mac-related bargains are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page, which starts right after this jump.

One year after his liver transplant, Steve Jobs is back to his old self. While he still struggles with low weight as a result of health issues, insiders and analysts say he’s “invigorated,”  and “fully operational” partially as a result of the iPad launch.

“Except for the fact that he’s lost a lot of weight, he’s the Steve Jobs of old,” said Tim Bajarin, who has followed Apple for more than two decades as founder of technology consulting firm Creative Strategies in Campbell, California told Bloomberg.

“At the visionary level, technology and design level, he seems to be working at the same level as he was before he was sick. If I was an investor, I’d be thrilled.”

The recent update of Apple’s line of MacBook Pro computers will help the Cupertino, Calif. computer maker have its third consecutive 20 percent gain in quarterly Mac sales, an analyst told investors Tuesday.

“Mac momentum is strong, helped by a recent significant refresh of the MacBook Pro to new Intel Arrandale processors,” Shaw Wu of Kaufman Bros. wrote. Along with a better price, Wu cited “an industry best 8-10 hours of battery life.”

MobileMe may be the one Apple product I’ve never been tempted enough to at least consider pulling the trigger on. Although it’s got a number of useful features — cloud storage, email, photo galleries, syncing of contacts across all devices, and the super useful “Find My iPhone” feature — a lot of the functionality is achievable through free, third-party applications. Given that, MobileMe’s $99 annual fee has always seemed a bit steep.

According to a MacDailyNews rumor, though, MobileMe might be posed to become a lot more tempting. According to their source, MobileMe will become free of charge “sooner rather than later” depending on “certain facilities going operational…” a clear reference to Apple’s new North Carolina server farm.

That’s great news if true, although frankly, Apple doesn’t need to entirely drop the fee to get me to finally bite the bullet: even if they only cut it by $50, they’d have my credit card number in a flash.

Remember how, back on Windows, you used to use the Win key and the Control key quite often? Well, on OS X, the Command key is your best friend.

There are two Command keys, one each side of the spacebar. You should find them easy to reach with your thumbs while typing.

With the iPad’s arrival to nine countries on May 28th, Apple is beefing up it’s bid for world e-publishing domination.

The iBooks app and iBookstore will be available through iTunes alongside the iPad’s next international release. Apple’s country specific press releases for Australia, Canada, France, Italy, Japan, Spain, and the UK all indicate the immediate availability of iBooks and the iBookstore when the iPad hits stores.

iBooks comes to the iPhone and iPod touch with the release of iPhone OS 4 this summer.

[via MacRumors]

ADR Studio, an Italian design house, posted this great render of what an Apple iWatch might look like. It’s just a concept design, but I’d buy this product: think of what Apple could do with it!

For one, the iWatch concept realizes the promise of Microsoft’s own SPOT operating system in that it would bring widget-distillable information to your wrist in the form of apps. You could pair it with Bluetooth to your phone to display incoming calls, instant messages or text messages. An iWatch could also pretty much replace the iPod Shuffle and Nike+ for joggers: strapped around your wrist, it could easily keep track of the distance traveled or your heart rate.

Wishful thinking? Definitely. But I still want one, and think Apple should make it: if Cuptertino’s ultimate goal is for everyone to have an iDevice on them at all times, no accessory is as ubiquitous as the wristwatch.