Today’s students have grown up completely immersed in technology. Be it iPods, iPads or computers, this is the way they’re most comfortable learning and interacting with the world. So why stick with heavy, static paper textbooks? Apple has the answer in iBooks 2 for iPad, a new application that features a truly dynamic, engaging and interactive kind of textbook.

Also of note: Apple is is giving authors the ability to set their own prices as long as they remain $14.99 or under. Bye-bye to $200+ textbooks? (Yes, there’s still the cost of an iPad to consider).

See more images and read the full press release after the click.

New rumors around the next generation iPad by Apple have surfaced. The release date is apparently set for March 2012. Bloomberg reports that manufacturers of the device want to reach full capacity for the iPad 3 in February.

“The tablet will use a quad-core chip, an enhancement that lets users jump more quickly between applications, two of the people said.

The Cupertino, California-based company has been working on making the iPad compatible with a wireless standard called long- term evolution, or LTE, said one of the people. Carriers such as Verizon Wireless (VZ) and ATT Inc. (T) are rolling out LTE networks to give users faster access to data. Apple is bringing LTE to the iPad before the iPhone because the tablet has a bigger battery and can better support the power requirements of the newer technology, said one of the people.

The new display is capable of greater resolution than the current iPad, with more pixels on its screen than some high- definition televisions, the person said. The pixels are small enough to make the images look like printed material, according to the person. Videos begin playing almost instantly because of the additional graphics processing, the person said.”

This all sounds pretty promising, so a little more wait and we will know more. We will of course keep you posted.

Well, this comes with no surprise. Inicons presents a 1:6 scale Steve Jobs Action Figure. The late Apple founder and CEO is presented in his usual outfit, including a pair of jeans, black pullover and of course New Balance sneakers. They went as far as presenting the man in his most iconic poses, on stage, presenting the latest Apple product. Priced at 100 USD, the figure is moving really fast, at least until the Jobs family decides to send a a cease and desist letter to the manufacturers.

Take a detailed look at mini Steve Jobs after the jump.

Here are some more Apple rumors. After the big disappointment that Fall 2011 we did not see an iPhone 5 release, the speculations are now that Fall 2012 will see a completely updated phone from Cupertino.

“For starters, we can now confidently say that Apple’s next iPhone will launch in the fall next year, around the same time that this year’s iPhone 4S launched. We have also learned that Apple is planning to use a rubber or plastic material — similar to the material used in the company’s bumper cases — that will be built into the new iPhone case. In all likelihood, this material will be used as a bezel surrounding the front edge of the phone (like the iPhone 3GS bezel) and it will serve two purposes. First, it will join the glass iPhone face with a new aluminum back plate. It will also cover a redesigned antenna system that surrounds the device, allowing Apple to build the rear case out of aluminum without having to use a large plastic insert above the antennas as the company does on its iPad 2 Wi-Fi + 3G. Earlier reports suggested that Apple’s next-generation iPhone will feature an aluminum case similar to the one found on the iPad 2, as well as a larger display around 4 inches.”(Via BGR)

With competition by Android and Windows Phone heating up, Apple will 100% launch a new iPhone next year. Now we just have to wait and see if the rumored specifications, of which some are already seen in the mock-up here above, will actually make it into the device.

As usual the rumors about Apple’s upcoming products do not stop. One which does not seem to calm down though is the fast that the Cupertino company will be revealing two versions of their next generation iPad tablet computer next month, January 2012. Amazon is doing really well with the Kindle Fire. It looks like Apple wants to compete with the Fire with their current iPad 2, while offering two new versions that will compete in the mid-range and high-range markets.

“Instead of the previously-rumored 7.85-inch, the upcoming iPad models will still feature 9.7-inch screens but come with QXGA resolution (1,536×2,048 pixels), the sources indicated. Dual-LED light bars are designed for the new iPads to strengthen the brightness of the panels, the sources added.”

Of course Apple has not confirmed any of these rumors, but it cannot be long and we will know more. We will of course keep you posted. (Via Digitimes)

This past week the BBC aired their documentary on Apple’s founder and visionary Steve Jobs, entitled ‘Billion Dollar Hippy’. The documentary tells the story of how Jobs grew up balancing his interests in the tech monster of Silicon Valley and the Californian countercultural hippie movement. The hour long documentary includes lots of great insight and behind the scenes looks, as well as high profile interviews. Well worth taking the time to watch it. Enjoy!

In case you thought you ever saw a lot of people waiting for a store to open, check out what went down today when Apple opened the doors to its new flagship store in New York inside Grand Central Station. Eager customers started lining up early in the morning for the opening and Apple was of course prepared, as you can see with the small army of employees that you see in their red t-shirts on the images. The store is not only one of the biggest Apple retail stores to date, but certainly an impressive one in terms of location.

“As NYC’s gateway to Connecticut, Grand Central is typically incredibly crowded during rush hour, but the enormous sunlight-filled main hall was packed to the brim today with spectators — eager customers queued up in a hallway out of view, beginning early this morning. The store itself is huge, occupying the entire east balcony and several side rooms, with a large genius bar, training area and accessory alcove at either side.”

Take a further look at the store and the opening after the jump.

After much speculation, Apple has finally announced the opening of its new Grand Central Station flagship store in New York City. It will be one of their biggest stores and once again the company has managed to choose a spectacular and special spot for one of its stores.

The store will open its doors on December 9th, 2011, at 10 AM. We cannot wait to see it!

Oscar-winning screenwriter Aaron Sorkin, who brought the story of Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg to the big screen in The Social Network and knew Apple founder Steve Jobs personally, says he’s seriously considering adapting Jobs biography. He’s currently reading Walter Isaacson’s Steve Jobs book, which Sony optioned last month for $1 million.

“Right now I’m just in the thinking-about-it stages,” said Sorkin. “It’s a really big movie and it’s going to be a great movie no matter who writes it. He was a great entrepreneur, he was a great artist, a great thinker. He’s probably inspired [my 11-year-old daughter] Roxy more than he’s inspired me … she plays with all his toys.”

The only previous film to tell Jobs’s story was 1999’s made-for-TV movie Pirates of Silicon Valley, which, for obvious reasons, stops short of Apple’s mainstream boom. (Guardian)

Reports have surfaced suggesting Apple will begin iPad 3 production in January 2012. Apple has ordered over 3 million high-resolution flat panel displays for the next generation iPad, with further information suggesting the company is looking at 7.85 inch screens. Either we’re looking at a smaller-scale tablet or (more likely) the possibility of multiple sizes, as is offered with the MacBook line of products. (BI)