ipad2

Editors' note: Updated January 24 with nine new cases from Belkin, Camalen, Evio, Incipio, iSkin, Speck, and SwitchEasy. The original post published March 11, 2011.

We know that a lot of people who buy the iPad 2 are also going to buy Apple's Smart Cover. But then again plenty of folks prefer to shop for non-Apple alternatives, and we've got more than 70 iPad 2 covers and stands to show you.

Of course, this roundup only represents a fraction of the cases and stands available for the iPad 2, but we've tried to include many of the top cases available. It's also worth noting that while we've included a few sleeve-style cases and some back covers that are designed to work with Apple's Smart Cover, the majority of the cases are what we'd call "full" cases with protection for both the front and back of your iPad 2.

If you think we missed a good cover--or just have a favorite among the ones shown--feel free to post a comment. We'll update the list to include more covers and stands as they become available (we've added close to 20 new covers in the last month and have started to delete some of the less desirable cases as the list gets too long).

Click on any slide to begin the slideshow. Cases are listed alphabetically.

… Read more

If you've been patiently waiting for a jailbreak solution for your A5-based device--in other words, your iPhone 4S or iPad 2--it should be exciting news that the jailbreak community has gotten its current program out of the sandbox stage, which generally signals an imminent release.

According to a tweet picked up by iDownloadBlog, hacker "planetbeing" has announced that the iPhone 4S/iPad 2 jailbreak has left the sandbox stage of development. He also states that the jailbreak is "turning out to be more complex than X-Gold 618."

X-Gold 618 was the baseband chip in the … Read more

We could see not just two new iPads, but two separate product launches this year, assuming you believe the latest report from the rumor-a-minute Taiwanese news site DigiTimes.

Citing component makers, DigiTimes says that Apple is gearing up on parts for two separate iPad releases this year, with one taking place in March and another sometime in October.

If those dates sound familiar, they are. Last year Apple released the iPad 2 in March, with October bringing the unveiling and release of the iPhone 4S.

DigiTimes makes the rather bold claim that the two models will be successive, with the … Read more

Apple is reportedly planning to hold a special event in New York City later this month. That's got the rumor mill operating at full capacity to figure out what the company has planned.

Yesterday, startup-focused blog TechCrunch was the latest to chime in, saying that a source claims the event will center on book publishing and iBooks. The source didn't say exactly what Apple will announce, but suggested the iPhone maker won't be unveiling any new hardware at the event. Apple's mobile-advertising platform, iAd, also won't be discussed, TechCrunch's source says.

All Things Digital … Read more

Though the Android-based Motorola Xyboard tablet from Verizon has taken its lumps from reviewers, my initial take is a bit more upbeat.

So, let's get the bad news out of the way first. CNET Reviews didn't like the price (among other things) for this follow-on to the original Xoom tablet.

I agree. If you opt for a month-to-month broadband connection for a 10-inch 16GB Xyboard, you have to pay $699 plus the first month ($30 for 2GB). That's about $730 just to walk out of the store--and about $100 more than the initial outlay for the 16GB … Read more

The iMainGo XP delivers big sound on the go for your iPad. With a clever design and relatively easy setup, the iMainGo XP is a great accessory for enjoying entertainment on vacations, picnics in the park, or even adding sound to portable business presentations.

The good

Using Portable Sound Laboratory's sx149 digital music amplifier and four 38mm titanium-coned neodymium high-output speakers pumping out 10 total channel watts, the iMainGo XP's sound is perhaps surprisingly big and vibrant. It is easy to fill any space in the house, your hotel room, or a good radius at the park.

The … Read more

If someone sends you a link to a video of an iPad 2 being dropped in hot lava, the only sensible thing to do--once confirming the link is malware-free--is to click it.

This logic seems to be the entire basis for a new marketing campaign from California-based ZooGue, which sells accessories for iPads and other devices. The aforementioned video features ZooGue CEO Tim Angel trekking to a lava flow in Hawaii to lower an iPad 2 into the magma, watch it plead for its existence with a cute "excessive heat" warning, then burst into flames and melt.… Read more

Amazon is mostly an equal-opportunity seller, but when it comes to selling the iPad 2, it's a slightly different story.

Just trying keying in "iPad" or "iPad 2" into the Amazon search bar and you'll see what I mean. The first "sponsored" search result is a link to "Compare iPad 2 vs. Kindle Fire" that encourages you to a view a side-by-side comparison of key features.

Not surprisingly, the Kindle Fire either matches or bests the iPad 2 in most of those key features, taking losses in only the memory … Read more

I was surprised by the comments regarding the definition of "obsolete" in my post last week on timing an iPad purchase.

"I fail to see any case for 'obsolescence' just because a new model of anything is released," commented "moonbeard."

"Just because the iPad 3 comes out, the iPad 2 isn't 'obsolete' by my definition. Now a dial-up modem, that's obsolete. Windows 95, that's obsolete," wrote "Rick3904."

"The only Apple devices I would dare consider to be obsolete in the 'i' line are the original iPhone … Read more