USA Today reviewer Edward C. Baig describes his experience using the first Multi-Touch digital textbooks published for the iBooks 2 for iPad app, noting that they are “engaging in ways that were simply not possible with the textbooks I grew up with.” Baig likes the portability, updatability, and low pricing of iBooks 2 digital textbooks and touts specific features like instant search, highlighting, bookmarking, and interactive graphics. Writes Baig, “It’s better to see an animated tour of the genome in E.O. Wilson’s Life on Earth than just to read about it. ”

Bloomberg’s Peter Burrows reports that Apple is making rapid headway selling into corporations — especially financial services and pharmaceutical firms. Burrows writes that Apple’s corporate sales are being driven chiefly by iPad, which “has become a standard business tool.” The article quotes Matt Wallach, co-founder of Veeva Systems, who says: “I’ve seen a lot of devices come and go over the years. Nothing touches the speed of adoption of the iPad.”

StudioDaily’s Beth Marchant reports on “key features” delivered in Final Cut Pro version 10.0.3. Marchant interviews Radical Media CTO Evan Schechtman — an early adopter of Final Cut Pro X — who calls version 10.0.3 “an even bigger deal than the original release,” noting that his company is “ready to transition completely to Final Cut Pro X now that broadcast monitoring and multicam editing are in the mix.”

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2012 first quarter, which spanned 14 weeks and ended December 31, 2011. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $46.33 billion and record quarterly net profit of $13.06 billion, or $13.87 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $26.74 billion and net quarterly profit of $6 billion, or $6.43 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. “We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads, and Macs,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO. “Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.”

Apple today announced iBooks 2 for iPad, featuring iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that’s dynamic, engaging, and truly interactive. iBooks textbooks offer iPad users gorgeous, full-screen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, and unrivaled navigation. Leading education services companies including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill, and Pearson will deliver educational titles on the iBookstore, with most priced at $14.99 or less. And with the new iBooks Author, anyone with a Mac can create iBooks textbooks and publish them to Apple’s iBookstore. Starting today, iBooks 2 is available free from the App Store and iBooks Author is available free from the Mac App Store

Apple today announced an all-new iTunes U app, giving educators and students everything they need on their iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch to teach and take entire courses. The all-new iTunes U app lets teachers create and manage courses — including essential components such as lectures, assignments, books, quizzes, and syllabuses — and offer them to millions of iOS users around the world. The app also gives iOS users access to the world’s largest catalog of free educational content from top universities including Cambridge, Duke, Harvard, Oxford and Stanford. And starting today, any K-12 school district can offer full courses through the iTunes U app.

Just in time for the holidays, Apple’s fifth Manhattan store opens for business at New York’s world-famous Grand Central Terminal at 10 a.m. on Friday, December 9. The store overlooks the historic Main Concourse and features two Genius Bars, entire rooms dedicated to Personal Setup and Personal Training, and an expert team of 315 employees. Holiday shoppers can test-drive Apple products, attend 15-minute Express workshops, get free technical support, and more.

In an interview at National Geographic’s Adventure blog, director Tim Kemple of Camp 4 Collective — an outdoor video and film production company — describes using iPhone 4S to shoot a hi-def music video at the Great Salt Lake as an experiment in remote location capture. Kemple reports getting excellent video from iPhone 4S, noting that “because it’s always with you means you end up using it when you’d least expect.” The interview includes tips for stabilizing shots, optimizing for iOS 5 features, using helpful apps in extreme environments, and shooting in low light.

Students at Punahou School in Honolulu, Hawaii, are using Mac notebooks to research class assignments and show results in ways they never could before. These include songs and podcasts recorded and edited in GarageBand, digital presentations and portfolios created in Keynote, campus news videos edited in iMovie and Final Cut Pro, and even iOS apps built using Xcode. Says sixth grade teacher Sandy Chang, “The Macs in my classroom are completely indispensable.”

In a CNET Editors’ review, Jason Parker gives the new GarageBand for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch 5 out of 5 stars, citing the app’s “uniquely designed and authentic-sounding instruments, smart touch interface, and tools that make song creation easy.” He adds: “Anyone with even a passing interest in creating music should download GarageBand for iOS. Frankly, we wish we could give it more than five stars for the virtually unlimited song possibilities, ease of use, and excellent touch-screen controls.”

New York Times columnist David Pogue reports on AssistiveTouch, an “amazingly thoughtful” iOS 5 feature that makes it possible to complete Multi-Touch gestures using one finger or a stylus. Writes Pogue: “I doubt that people with severe motor control challenges represent a financially significant number of the iPhone’s millions of customers. But somebody at Apple took them seriously enough to write a complete, elegant and thoughtful feature that takes down most of the barriers to using an app phone.”

Apple announced that GarageBand, its breakthrough music creation app, is now available for iPhone and iPod touch. Introduced earlier this year on iPad, GarageBand uses Apple’s Multi-Touch interface to make it easy for anyone to create and record their own songs, even if they’ve never played an instrument before. GarageBand 1.1 for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch is available on the App Store for $4.99 (US) to new users, or as a free update for existing GarageBand for iPad customers.

Wired Magazine reports that Newsstand, a new feature of iOS 5, is “hitting it big with traditional media publishers thanks to its windfall delivery of new digital subscriptions.” Newsstand keeps all app subscriptions for newspapers, magazines, and journals in one convenient place on the iOS 5 home screen and makes it easy to shop for new reading material. Wired cites Conde Nast and The New York Times among publishers seeing large spikes in app subscriptions since Newsstand launched.

Vogue’s “Need It Now” column features the new Cards from Apple, which lets users create and mail beautifully crafted cards personalized with their own text and photos from their iPhone or iPod touch. Each card is just $2.99 when sent within the U.S. and $4.99 when sent to or from anywhere else — postage included. Vogue calls the Cards app “nothing short of genius” for reviving the almost forgotten pleasure of receiving a “real, honest-to-goodness paper greeting card in the mail” and concludes: “This is the kind of vintage innovation we would all do well to download.”

Reviewing iPhone 4S at TechCrunch, columnist MG Siegler finds much to like, including its faster speed, improved camera, iOS 5 with Notification Center, and Siri, which he calls “the true killer feature of the device.” He adds: “The iPhone 4 was a great product. The best smartphone ever made. Now it cedes that title to the iPhone 4S.”

The Benetton Group, headquartered in Venice, Italy, is internationally known for its lively fashions and memorable ad campaigns. Recently, they created a fast, color-accurate iPad catalog app that replaces bulky, production-intensive hardcopy catalogs. As a result, the company saves 60 days per year in preparing its sales materials for its staff and is able to adapt instantly to changes.

Wired reviewer Brian X. Chen writes that a superb new camera and speedy dual-core processor are great additions to iPhone 4S and that Siri alone is reason enough to buy the phone: “To give you an idea of how convenient Siri is, it takes about three seconds to create a reminder with a voice command, as opposed to the 10 seconds it takes me to manually type an event into a to-do list or calendar entry.” Chen concludes: “…both inside and out, this is a magnificent smartphone.”

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 fourth quarter ended September 24, 2011. The Company posted quarterly revenue of $28.27 billion and quarterly net profit of $6.62 billion, or $7.05 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $20.34 billion and net quarterly profit of $4.31 billion, or $4.64 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. Gross margin was 40.3 percent compared to 36.9 percent in the year-ago quarter. International sales accounted for 63 percent of the quarter’s revenue.

Apple today announced that iCloud — a breakthrough set of free cloud services that includes iTunes in the Cloud, Photo Stream, and Documents in the Cloud — will be available on October 12. iCloud stores your music, photos, apps, contacts, calendars, documents, and more, keeping them up to date across all your devices, including iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, Mac, or PC. When content changes on one device, all your other devices are updated automatically and wirelessly.

Apple has topped the American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) in the personal computer category for an eighth consecutive year, achieving a score of 87 points. This is Apple’s highest score ever on the index and nine points ahead of second place HP. The ACSI includes tablets in the PC category, and the organization says in its press release, “Apple’s winning combination of innovation and product diversification — including spinning off technologies into entirely new directions — has kept the company consistently at the leading edge.”

Stephanie Reitz of Associated Press reports on the growing use of iPad in public secondary school classrooms this fall, noting a “move away from textbooks in favor of the lightweight tablet computers.” Educator benefits range from using iPad for interactive demonstrations of math solutions to teaching children with autism spectrum disorders and learning disabilities. Principal Patrick Larkin of Boston’s Burlington High School calls iPad a better long-term investment than textbooks, saying, “The bottom line is that the iPads will give our kids a chance to use much more relevant materials.”

The Wall Street Journal’s Ian Sherr reports on the tablet war, noting that “people don’t have tablet fever, it seems they simply have a mania for iPads.” He writes that HP, Motorola Mobility Holdings Inc., and Research In Motion Ltd. have entered the tablet market this year “trying to close the gap with Apple,” but that they “have been routed so far.” Sherr closes with a quote from Creative Strategies analyst Tim Bajarin, who observes: “There’s an iPad market and then there’s everyone else.”

At the world-famous Missouri School of Journalism, the MacBook Pro is now a universal presence in a curriculum designed to give students the hands-on experience they need to produce work at the same level as any professional journalist. Students use their Mac notebooks with iLife and Final Cut Pro to report, write, edit, and produce stories for the school’s newspaper, TV station, and online news service. Says Associate Dean Brian Brooks, “The Mac can really transform how we teach journalism in this country.”

Reviewer Jim Dalrymple writes in The Loop that the new 13-inch MacBook Air combines all the capabilities required for doing day-to-day work with optimal screen size and resolution. Dalrymple also praises the device’s spacious keyboard, “amazing” battery life, and pre-installed OS X Lion. He concludes: “The 13-inch MacBook Air is the computer that all other laptops will be measured against. It has power, portability, and a sleek design that is only matched by other MacBooks.”

Apple today updated the MacBook Air with next-generation Intel Core processors, high-speed Thunderbolt I/O technology, a backlit keyboard, and Mac OS X Lion, the world’s most advanced operating system. With up to 2.5x the performance of the previous generation, flash storage for instant-on responsiveness, and a compact design so portable you can take it everywhere, MacBook Air is the ultimate everyday notebook. MacBook Air starts at $999 (US) and is available for order today and in stores tomorrow.

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 third quarter ended June 25, 2011. The Company posted record quarterly revenue of $28.57 billion and record quarterly net profit of $7.31 billion, or $7.79 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $15.70 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.25 billion, or $3.51 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. “We’re thrilled to deliver our best quarter ever, with revenue up 82 percent and profits up 125 percent,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “Right now, we’re very focused and excited about bringing iOS 5 and iCloud to our users this fall.”

For Standard Chartered Bank — a Global 500 international bank with 1800 branches on six continents — iPhone and iPad provide a perfect platform to expand its mobile services, both internally and to its increasingly tech-savvy customers. “With iPhone and iPad, we’re really looking at the next generation of banking,” says Todd Schofield, Global Head of Enterprise Mobility at Standard Chartered Bank. “Managing our customers’ money is a responsibility we take very seriously, and our mobile services reflect that.”

Computerworld reviewer Michael deAgonia calls the new 27-inch iMac “a thoroughly modern all-in-one computer, with a sharp, bright screen that’s perfect for editing movies, organizing/editing photos, watching streaming video or making your own presentations.” Citing its minimalist design, enhanced performance from Sandy Bridge processors and AMD graphics chips, and the “very important addition” of Thunderbolt data transfer capabilities, deAgonia concludes: “Apple has delivered a solid update to what was already a popular and successful line.”

Apple today announced Final Cut Pro X, a new version of the world’s most popular pro video editing software, rebuilt from the ground up on a modern 64-bit architecture. Final Cut Pro X completely reinvents video editing with a Magnetic Timeline that lets you edit on a flexible, trackless canvas; Content Auto-Analysis that categorizes your content upon import by shot type, media, and people; and background rendering that allows you to work without interruption. Final Cut Pro X is available from the Mac App Store for $299.99.

Apple today introduced iCloud, a set of free new cloud services that work seamlessly with applications on your iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, Mac, or PC to automatically and wirelessly store your content and push it to all your devices. iCloud services include new versions of Contact, Calendar, and Mail; iCloud Backup and Storage; Photo Stream; and iTunes in the Cloud. And for just $24.99 a year, iTunes Match will give you all of the benefits of iTunes in the Cloud for music you haven’t purchased from iTunes. iCloud will be available this fall, along with iOS 5. A free beta version of iTunes in the Cloud is available today in the U.S. and requires iTunes 10.3 and iOS 4.3.3.

Apple today previewed iOS 5, the latest version of the world’s most advanced mobile operating system, with over 200 new features that will be available as a free software update to iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users this fall. New iOS 5 features include: Notification Center, an innovative way to easily view and manage notifications in one place without interruption; iMessage, a new messaging service that lets you send text messages, photos, and videos between all iOS 5 devices; and Newsstand, a new way to purchase and organize your newspaper and magazine subscriptions. And with iOS 5, iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch users can activate and set up new iOS devices right out of the box and get software updates over the air — no computer required.

Apple today announced that its groundbreaking iWork productivity apps — Keynote, Pages, and Numbers — are now available for iPhone and iPod touch, as well as iPad. Created for the Mac and then completely redesigned for iOS and the Multi-Touch interface, Keynote, Pages, and Numbers allow you to create and share stunning presentations, beautifully formatted documents, and powerful spreadsheets on the go. iWork apps are available on the App Store for $9.99 each to new users and as a free update for existing iWork for iPad customers.

With its “souped-up” CPU and graphics performance, beautiful design, and best-in-class display, the 27-inch iMac earns a 9/10 rating and an Editors’ Choice award from Computer Shopper. Noting iMac’s strong productivity performance and excellent gaming capabilities, reviewer Jonathan Rougeout concludes: “In almost every way, this top-of-the-line model beats every other all-in-one on the market.”

CNET makes the new 27-inch iMac an Editors’ Choice (4/5 stars), writing that it “offers the best performance among current all-in-ones, along with the largest display, the best design, and exciting potential from its Thunderbolt ports.” Citing iMac’s competitive performance and price, CNET concludes that “for digital media professionals, or others in need of a fast, serious-minded all-in-one with a large display, we can make no other recommendation.”

At AllThingsD, tech columnist Walt Mossberg compiles a comprehensive list of apps for watching network and cable TV shows on iPad, including iTunes, Netflix, Hulu Plus, HBO GO, MLB.com At Bat, ABC Player, XFINITY TV, and WatchESPN. Mossberg notes that iPad’s many viewing app options — along with its thin and light design, immersive interface, large screen, and strong battery performance — make it “by far the best tablet for TV watching now.”

For its excellent performance, “gorgeous” design, and superior display, the new 21.5-inch iMac earns an editors’ rating of 8.9/10 from Computer Shopper, which makes it their overall top pick for an all-in-one desktop computer. Reporting that iMac blew most of the competition “straight off the test bench,” Computer Shopper recommends iMac to anyone focused on productivity and performance. They add: “With serious speed improvements and the promising new Thunderbolt port, the 2011 iMac keeps an iron grip on its position as today’s leading all-in-one PC.”

Blogging in The New York Times, technology columnist David Pogue calls Our Choice — Al Gore’s new e-book app for iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch — “one of the most elegant, fluid, immersive apps you’ve ever seen.” Pogue notes that the Our Choice app updates Gore’s 2009 best-selling book about solving Earth’s climate crisis and that “the real magic” is in the visual elements, which include more than 400 pages of interactive photos, graphics, and video. Pogue concludes: “For once, here’s an e-book that really does redefine the net effect of an e-book.”

Beginning May 7, you can visit any Guitar Center location and learn how to record and mix tracks using Mac and GarageBand. Guitar Center will present free “Recording Made Easy” workshops each Saturday from 10-11 a.m. in all of its 216 stores. Four different workshop sessions make it simple for even novice musicians to go from creating basic tracks to recording a finished song in GarageBand.

USA Today’s Jefferson Graham describes how he was able to capture and edit on-the-go travel videos in New Zealand using iPad 2 and the iMovie app, then instantly demo his movies on the “nearly 10-inch sexy screen.” Writes Graham: “Most people never get around to editing their videos. So having easy-to-obtain software on a device that lets you edit anywhere, like the iPad, will, hopefully, result in more polished videos.”

Apple today announced financial results for its fiscal 2011 second quarter ended March 26, 2011. The Company posted record second quarter revenue of $24.67 billion and record second quarter net profit of $5.99 billion, or $6.40 per diluted share. These results compare to revenue of $13.50 billion and net quarterly profit of $3.07 billion, or $3.33 per diluted share, in the year-ago quarter. “With quarterly revenue growth of 83 percent and profit growth of 95 percent, we’re firing on all cylinders,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We will continue to innovate on all fronts throughout the remainder of the year.”