Steve Jobs unveils iPad 2

Apple CEO Steve Jobs briefly emerged from his medical leave and walked on stage to a standing ovation on Wednesday to unveil the second generation of the popular iPad tablet computer.
Jobs looked frail as he appeared in his signature black mock turtleneck, blue jeans and wire-rimmed glasses.
"We've been working on this product for a while, and I just didn't want to miss today," Jobs told an audience in San Francisco, that included bloggers and Apple enthusiasts. "Thank you for having me."
The next-generation tablet computer is faster than the original iPad.
As expected, it comes with two cameras for taking photos and video chatting.
The battery life will be the same as the original - about 10 hours of usage or a month on standby.
The iPad 2 is also thinner - 8.8 millimetres, or about a third of an inch, instead of the current 13.4 millimetres.
The original iPad, which went on sale last April, was more popular than analysts anticipated. Apple sold 15 (m) million in nine months. The iPad was initially used for checking e-mail, surfing the Web and watching online video. But as the number of software applications - or "apps" - designed just for iPad grew, the tablet made itself at home in offices, shops, restaurants and countless other settings.
"With over 65,000 apps tuned to the iPad, we think 2011 is going to be the year of iPad 2," said Jobs.
The rush for iPads sparked dozens of copycat touch-screen devices, but so far, none has broken into the mainstream consciousness the way the iPad has.
The new iPads will cost the same as the originals - US$499 dollars to US$829 dollars, depending on storage space and whether or not they can connect to the Internet over a cellular network.
Apple said there will be black and white versions, despite its problems getting the promised white iPhone 4 models to market. The first iPad came only in black.
In the US, the iPad 2 will work on AT&T Inc. and Verizon Wireless.
Jobs also introduced a new accessory for the iPad that will let people connect the tablet to high-definition televisions, so they can watch videos up to 1080p in resolution on the bigger screen.
The US$39 dollar part plugs into the iPad's charging port and connects to an HDMI cable.
After its March 11 US launch, the iPad 2 goes on sale March 25 in at least 26 other markets, including Mexico, New Zealand, Spain and other European countries.
Jobs announced in January that he would take a third leave of absence to focus on his health.
In the last decade, Jobs, 56, has survived a rare but curable form of pancreatic cancer and undergone a liver transplant. Chief Operating Officer Tim Cook has been running day-to-day operations.
In 2009, Jobs said in advance that he would take a six-month medical leave; this time, the company did not specify when he would return.
The last time Jobs went on medical leave, marketing chief Phil Schiller was the main presenter at product launch events.
Shares of Apple, which is based in Cupertino, California, rose US$1.66, or 0.5 percent, to US$350.97 dollars in afternoon trading on Wednesday.