Apple tees up product launch for March 7: whatever could it be?

Apple today invited tech reporters to an event in San Francisco on March 7, with the following graphic suggesting that the unveiling relates to a new iteration of its market-dominating iPad.

As is the custom with Apple, no confirmed details have been released about either the event, or any future iPad. But word is the third-generation version will include an upgraded display, faster processor, and the same form factor as iPad 2. There are also rumors that AT&T and Verizon will offer higher-speed coverage for the device on their fourth-gen LTE networks.

Your photoshop remixes for the invite graphic are welcomed in the comments.

Boing Boing editor/partner and tech culture journalist Xeni Jardin hosts and produces Boing Boing's in-flight TV channel on Virgin America airlines (#10 on the dial), and writes about living with breast cancer. Diagnosed in 2011. @xeni on Twitter. email: xeni@boingboing.net.

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http://twitter.com/myparrotsteeth Jamie Mct

I tried telling people I had something I really wanted them to see. And touch. I still can’t look at a can of mace without screaming.
- ialreadyexist
  
  Your tralala?
  - TheMudshark
    
    Your ding ding dong?
Brainspore

Apple could make everyone totally lose their shit just by calling it the “iPad 4.”

You’re welcome, Mr. Cook.
barsanuphe

Speaking of photoshop, I can’t seem to grasp where the light shining on the thumb in the picture comes from. Or maybe the black border emits white light. That would be something.
- http://www.matthewpetty.com/ Matthew Petty
  
  Maybe it’s Cherenkov radiation. Something to do with the new ultra-long-lasting battery.
- http://www.nickbedford.com/ Nick Bedford
  
  It’s not like Apple to fail at compositing like that.
- http://noctilucent-studios.blogspot.com/ Noctilucent Studios
  
  Looks like it’s an LED lamp just below the border of the picture. They do have weird dispersal patterns.
- Paul Renault
  
  The hand was on a light table when it was shot. The image of the iDevice was ‘shopped in.
- manicbassman
  
  it’s the apple reality distortion field at work…
- teapot
  
  Thanks. You gave me this idea.
  
  http://www.reposter.net/images/content/icrosoft.jpg
Douglas Rushkoff

Could they have added textural feedback?
- http://www.littlecirclesvt.com MikeB
  
  Oh. Textural. So many levels.
sciwizam

“I have something you really have to see. And touch.”
- Teller
  
  iPud
  - Antinous / Moderator
    
    iPooed
    - Teller
      
      Crab!
    - teapot
      
      Don’t know what our recurring theme of Thailand and tshirts is all about, but I saw these over there:
      
      http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4051/4437395602_d3b9319587.jpg
EH

oh good, disqus threw away my comment after logging in.
- Antinous / Moderator
  
  Not that it isn’t a problem, but given that you’ve mentioned it multiple times, shouldn’t you have gotten it sorted out by now? Log in before commenting. If it doesn’t give you the option, type two characters, then log in before commenting.
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    It’s a lame and persistent problem, so I’m going to be lame and persistent in observing it. It’s not like these observations haven’t gathered any likes.
    - jimh
      
      Select all. Copy. Log in.
      - millie fink
        
        Right. When you look at it that way, it’s not much of a problem. At all.
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      I completely agree. It’s utterly annoying that commenters have to do workarounds.
    - JonS
      
      I’ve pretty much given up on posting here because of Disgust. Logging in takes an eternity, and it’s flakey as hell.
      
      I’m sure you all terribly miss my witty insights on life.
      - TheMudshark
        
        More like whiny insights, amirite?
    - teapot
      
      OK dude keep it up… it’s only you that’s:
      a) wasting your time with lost posts
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      Now that I’m done being snarky – sometimes I find (when using FF or Chrome) that after I log in my comment appears to vanish, until I click reply to someone – or on the bottom text field. After the click either my comment often magically reappears. Sometimes it doesn’t work which is why I routinely copy paste anyway. Just my 2c, but copy paste it and save yourself the stress.
http://www.flickr.com/photos/stefan_e_jones/ Stefan Jones

Coincidentally, on March 8th I’m introducing my iPad2 disposal service, which provides owners with an environmentally responsible way of unburdening themselves of this dangerously obsolete device.
- morcheeba
  
  Apple offers up to $315 trade-in on an iPad2 … my iPad1 would qualify for $175, but it’s got a lot of life still left in it.
  http://store.apple.com/us/browse/reuse_and_recycle
  - gerardwhelan
    
    and where do those go when they ‘buy’ them back? do they actually recycle, or is it a false economy where they dispose of them and take the hit, SIMPLY to keep you buying their crap, eventually eliminating competition by using their huge wealth to bury them. anyone?
    - http://darcyfitzpatrick.tumblr.com/ Darcy Fitzpatrick
      
      According to their FAQ, an item will either be stripped for parts and recyclable materials, or depending on its condition resold by a company called PowerOn. You can see the items they’re reselling here: http://shop.poweron.com/
http://twitter.com/amanicdroid Mari Lwyd

Another Samsung/Foxconn device?!? OMG OMG OMG Shiny!
Douglas Rushkoff

I meant, like, you can feel feedback from the iPad on your fingers. Through the glass. Like you’d feel the weight of an icon as you drag it. Do they know how to do that yet? Haptics, but not just vibration.
- gadfly
  
  http://senseg.com/technology/senseg-technology
sam1148

My guess. Siri, a better camera with flash, faster processor, and some integration for using it to stream movies better with a HDMI wireless adapter to control and stream videos to your flat screen from the Ipad (yeah, I know they kinda sorta have that now). Bascially, trying to make the Ipad the “hub” controler of AppleTV like services.
Maybe a base station for TV’s, that would have some memory to store and distribute movies to TV’s around the house.

The tactical feedback would be nice, but not needed IMHO.
- robuluz
  
  Siri, a better camera with flash
  
  You mean a better camera with HTML5.
- chaopoiesis
  
  >> The tactical feedback would be nice, but not needed IMHO.
  
  Beg to differ – Rushkoff’s possibly onto something. The announcement *is* alluding to touch as well as sight, and once Apple solves the technical problem of a tablet surface offering a keyboard experience equivalent to that of a conventional notebook, notebook computing takes one big step towards becoming historical.
http://twitter.com/taro3yen taro3yen

If the Apple was a Japanese company, the obvious new product would be: The iToilet.Details: http://news.3yen.com/2012-02-29/if-apple-was-a-japanese-company/
- millie fink
  
  iTerlette. With a combo, built-in iCondom and iPad dispenser.
http://twitter.com/Menoites Menoites (DB.DiRtY)

Fold-able iPad, about the size of a 13″ MacBook Pro, if laid out straight. It bends in the middle, and is completely touch screen with retina display.

Look at the edge of the iPad in the invite – It’s massively large compared to the edge of the iPad 1 and 2. Also note that there is no HOME button at which can only be assumed to be the bottom of the tablet.
- Modano
  
  You know, the other way it could “only be assumed” is that it’s tilted into landscape mode.
- sam1148
  
  See that up post “Project 2000″ you tube link I posted from Apple’s vision in 1988. They already had a form factor for a folder ‘pad’ in the works with a built in scanner and voice recognition. In their ‘blue sky’ project book.
  
  And kind clunky 1988 formfactor..but fold-able screen.
Tribune

It will be a new walking talking iMac that computes, cooks, cleans and takes out the garbage.
(my old iMac died last month – My original plan was to wait till the likely march roll out of stuff and upgrade. I am happy with my new refurbished one but I wish the old one had held on longer)
thecleaninglady

Steve?
iMeh

Have everybody insufferably underwhelmed – the iPad 2S: just LTE added for selected networks and a RAM boost to give another artificial reason to limit some apps exclusively to the iPad 2S.

Going to purchase the damn thing anyways. fml
http://twitter.com/tobymgraves Toby Graves

I heard they’re bring Clippy back.
Blaise Pascal

I await the mystery product with bated breath.
Bill

Is that Angelina’s leg?
social_maladroit

It’ll have an upgraded display, a faster processor…and support for Adobe Flash.

Also, Apple will demonstrate a special display model — a “one-time iPad,” if you will — that channels the spirit of Steve Jobs through the new iOuija app.

(Although the app will be commercially available through the app store, only Apple’s special display model will be able to actually contact Steve Jobs. Apple is rumored to have included ideomotors in the new iPad.)
http://twitter.com/gratefulvideo gratefulvideo

You are all wrong. It’s the iDraft. It’s like an iPad but the size of a drafting table.
sam1148

This is a bit of History here. A video by Apple for “Project 2000″
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fEkX4ipKeas

It included commentaries about what computers should be in the future..as seen from 1988.
Before internet was really available..and pads and touch screens where not available.
It envisions pads controlling large screen TV’s…google searches, (with Siri like intelligent agents), fold able pads, voice recognition, ebooks, and integrating a scanner into the a pad device.

Remember it’s 1988 there..so there’s a big hair warning.
That_Anonymous_Coward

A new port about the size of an SD card, but not actually an SD port, just to screw with everyones minds…
BrotherPower

Same form factor? So no one will know at a glance that I’m packing the old and busted? Then I’m good. I’ll sit this one out.

(I wish I were joking about this being my line of reasoning with Apple products.)
- retepslluerb
  
  Well, your annoyance at having to use an obsolete product will quickly give you away . :-)
teapot

Despite clear instructions to shoop the hell out of this, you have so far let me down BBers!

Here is nice:
http://www.reposter.net/images/content/creation-of-icrap.jpg

And here is nasty. (NSFW!)

^Also at the nasty page is a transparent png so everyone can join in!
http://twitter.com/michael_harrel Michael Harrel

Thrown into the mix.
http://i68.photobucket.com/albums/i6/vitkyre/Misc/ipad_jp_remix.jpg
http://www.cdllife.com/ Andrew S.

How could anyone NOT do the Pedobear meme with this?
http://farm8.staticflickr.com/7063/6796077144_efcfa54c2d.jpg
http://twitter.com/FogwomanGrey Fogwoman Grey-Volare

Electonics recycling?
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=4586903n
dpeters911

Critique of Apple, post-Foxconn