The new iPad hasn’t got off to a good start in the UK. First the UK Apple store came back online several hours after Apple announced the new iPad, with the first pre-orders being placed shortly before midnight as the store came online shortly after 11:30pm. Buyers who managed to place an order during the night appear to have had their orders fully processed, however those who placed orders after 8am Thursday morning are starting to receive emails from Apple saying that there will be a delay in receiving their shiny new iPad. Some users who placed orders after 8am are still on track for a March 16th delivery but, others are reporting a March 21st delivery date. Unfortunately we at Gizmodot have also been hit with one of these delay emails. The time users pre-ordered and who’s being delayed seems hit and miss though. There are some users who ordered after 8am, Thursday afternoon in fact who’s shipment still looks to be on time, where there are a couple of folks who did manage to order before 8am who have had their orders delayed. The majority of delay emails are affecting those in Scotland and Northern Ireland, while folks in London and the South haven’t been affected as much.

For those who haven’t managed to pre-order yet, the Apple UK website is now indicating a two to three week shipment date but, this is always subject to change as we’re already seeing from the guys who pre-ordered with a March 16th delay stated. For those in the US however, many are reporting to now be receiving emails to say their orders have been shipped for a March 16th delivery. Have you received a delay email, or is your pre-order still set to arrive on time? Let us know in the comments.

Today we’ve seen the new iPad unveiled by Apple but, how does it compare to the iPad 2? If you haven’t got an iPad 2 already is it worth the extra $100/£70 or will you be getting an iPad 2 now the price has dropped? Or are the changes enough to make you iPad 2 owners upgrade? Let us know in the comments.

Chip
Display	High-resolution Retina display 2048×1536-pixel resolution at 264 pixels per inch (ppi) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously	1024×768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi) Fingerprint-resistant oleophobic coating Support for display of multiple languages and characters simultaneously
Camera	iSight camera: 5-megapixel with autofocus; tap to focus; face detection in still images; video recording, HD (1080p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; video stabilisation FaceTime camera with VGA-quality photos and video at up to 30 frames per second Photo and video geotagging	Back camera: 0.7 megapixel, Video recording, HD (720p) up to 30 frames per second with audio; still camera with 5x digital zoom Front camera: Video recording, VGA up to 30 frames per second with audio; VGA-quality still camera Tap to control exposure for video or stills Photo and video geotagging over Wi-Fi
Weight and Dimensions	Height: 241.2 mm (9.50 inches) Width: 185.7 mm (7.31 inches) Depth: 9.4 mm (0.37 inches) Weight: 652 g (1.44 pounds) 4G model weight: Weight: 662g (1.46 pounds)	Height: 241.2 mm (9.50 inches) Width: 185.7 mm (7.31 inches) Depth: 8.8 mm (0.34 inches) Weight: 601 g (1.33 pounds) 3G model weight: Weight: 613g (1.35 pounds)
Colour
Wireless	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 4.0 technology Wi-Fi + 4G LTE (700, 2100 MHz); UMTS/HSPA/HSPA+/DC-HSDPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only	Wi-Fi Wi-Fi (802.11a/b/g/n) Bluetooth 2.1 + EDR technology Wi-Fi + 4G UMTS/HSDPA/HSUPA (850, 900, 1900, 2100 MHz); GSM/EDGE (850, 900, 1800, 1900 MHz) Data only
Battery Life	Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using mobile data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system	Up to 10 hours of surfing the web on Wi-Fi, watching video or listening to music Up to 9 hours of surfing the web using mobile data network Charging via power adapter or USB to computer system

Following on from the announcement on the new Apple iPad, the company have reduced the price of the second generation iPad. The iPad 2 is now available for $100 less, retailing at $399 now for the 16GB Wifi model, instead of $499. We’ve also seen a price cut on the 16GB Wifi model here in the UK by £70. The 16GB iPad 2 Wifi model is now £329 instead of £399. Presumably all iPad 2 models have received a price cut of $100/£70 but unfortunately we’re unable to confirm as the Apple website is currently loading rather slowly, in between not loading at all which is understandable as it’s now possible to pre-order Apple’s new iPad.

Image via Engadget

At their San Franciso press conference, Apple have officially unveiled the next generation iPad. Currently, it’s only known as the “new iPad”. We’re yet to learn if it will be the iPad 3, iPad 2S or iPad HD. Officially specifications have been announced though as well as availability and pricing. For selected countries, pre-orders start today.

New iPad specifications:
9.7″ Retina Display
2048×1536 resolution
265ppi
iSight: 5 megapixel camera with illuminated sensor, 5-element lens, IR filter, ISP, autofocus, 1080p video recording
A5X processor and quad core graphics chip
9.4mm thin
1.4lbs
4G LTE with Verizon, Rogers, Bell, Telus and AT&T
21Mbps HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA at 42Mbps, with LTE taking the cake at 73Mbps compared to 3.1Mbps and 7.2Mbps respectfully on the iPad 2
3G world ready which ever 4G model you choose, as it has the “most bands ever”
Hotspot for carriers who support it
10 hour battery life, 9 hours on 4G
Microphone button on the keyboard for voice dictation

Pricing is $499 for 16GB, $599 for 32GB and $699 for 64GB Wifi models, $629, $729 and $829 respectfully for 16GB, 32GB and 64GB 4G models, so no price change there. The new iPad will be available from March 16th in US, Canada, UK, France, Germany, Switzerland, Japan, Hong Kong, Singapore and Australia and you’ll be able to place a pre-order today, while the rest of the world will see a March 23rd release.

Samsung have unveiled the Galaxy Tab 2 for their tablet range of products. The Galaxy Tab 2 is similar to the original Galaxy Tab. It features the same 7″ display and 1024×600 resolution. It also comes with a 3 megapixel camera and a front facing camera along with 1GB of RAM.

The Galaxy Tab 2 differs however by coming in a slightly thicker form factor. The Tab 2 will measure 10.5mm compared to the original Galaxy Tab which measured 9.9mm. The tablet will be powered by a 1GHz dual core processor and Android 4.0. Samsung will also load the Galaxy Tab with it’s Readers Hub, Video Hub and Music Hub as part of the Samsung Hub Services.

The Galaxy Tab 2 is anticipated to go on sale from March, starting with the UK. Pricing details are currently unknown.

At first glance, not being used to ‘sling type’ bags personally, the Case Logic SLR Camera Sling Backpack (SLRC-205) camera case/bag looks a little bulky. It also looks a lot like a case aimed more at male photographers than female, it is definitely more masculine in appearance than some camera cases I’ve come across. However, I’ve always been told not to judge on appearance alone and certainly not on first glance impressions and so I ventured further into the multi-pocketed world of the SLRC-205 with an open mind and my Canon DSLR at hand.

My desire to try the Case Logic Sling Backpack dslr camera bag started as soon as I saw the camera suspension system that Case Logic are building into their more recent cases. The idea of being able to securely suspend my camera, protecting the lens and the body of the camera properly whilst still having almost instant access to the camera when I needed it appealed to me immensely. I admit to being ‘blinded’ to most of the other features of the case once I saw the suspension system and until the case arrived, I wasn’t even aware of the number of useful pockets the SLRC-205 has, the memory foam padding, the comfortable sling strap or the waist strap for extra security. The Case Logic Sling Backpack also has a strapping system to allow the case to carry a tripod securely and unobtrusively along with velcro strap ‘holders’ which end the problem of dangling straps.

For the third week in a row, Amazon have shifted more than one million kindle products each week. The numbers include their lastest e-reader Kindle, now in it’s fourth iteration, along with the Kindle Touch, Wifi and 3G models and the Kindle Fire, with the latter topping the sales charts for the past 11 weeks.

So what makes the Kindle so popular? Well, the numbers take into account the various products which appeal to a wide range of audiences. E-readers are also increasingly replacing traditional books. You can even buy Kindle covers that feature a flip case design, making the Amazon Kindle feel more like a real book, for those of us amongst us who prefer holding their Kindle like a book, rather than a tablet. You can even purchase a Kindle cover that not only gives the Kindle a feel of a real book but, also features a clip on light as the Kindle while it features brilliant E-ink technology it doesn’t have a backlight.

Along with the latest E-Ink technology which delivers crisp, clear text which reads like a book, you don’t need to access a PC to download books, which means you don’t have to have a PC or a Mac, there is no system compatibility requirement unlike other products. You do however need access to a wireless router but, this gives you access to over one million free books, as well as best sellers and latest releases. Newspapers and magazines have also jumped aboard the Kindle wagon, with newspapers such as The Guardian and The Times being available on the Kindle.

Have you contributed to the Amazon Kindle numbers? Are you hoping for one under your tree this Christmas, or have you bought a Kindle for a loved one?