Yet more rumors are surfacing that Apple will release a lower priced 8GB iPad 2 alongside the iPad 3 this month... but this one also claims there won't be a 64GB iPad 3. Digitimes, which has not been extremely accurate lately, says this is to "defend" against Windows 8 tablets coming later this year.

As Apple has scheduled an event on March 7, sources from its upstream supply chain pointed out that the company is expected to launch two iPad 3 models - a 16GB version and 32GB version. In addition to iPad 3, Apple is also expected to unveil an 8GB iPad 2, allowing the tablet PC series to cover different segments and to defend against Windows 8-based tablet PCs, the sources noted.

Lack of a 64GB iPad 3 model sounds very, very strange, given both the original iPad and iPad 2 offer 64GB models. So does the idea of competing with Windows 8 tablets, which have a completely different cost structure to Apple's. Namely, Microsoft makes money licensing Windows. ODMs (Original Device Manufacturers) like Samsung, HP, Dell, etc. make money on the hardware. In the past they've shown a willingness to operate on razor thin margins, driving prices to the bottom, hoping to make it up on volume. That didn't work out for netbooks and it's tough to see it working out for tablets. In either case, that's not a game Apple plays.

Last year, Apple chose not to keep the original iPad around at a reduced capacity and lower price point, however they have done this with older generation iPhones and iPod touches in the past, most recently with the low-end 8GB iPhone 4 when the iPhone 4S was released.

If Apple ends up doing the same with the iPad 2 this year, it could be simply to lower the cost of entry to attract more customers to the iPad platform.

Digitimes previously speculated that Apple would try to hit a $299 price point with a budget iPad, but given Apple's traditional focus on profit margins, that will depend a lot on how low they can drive production costs. Further, since the iPad isn't a subsidized product, Apple can't shift the discounts to carriers the way they do with the iPhone.

Given the lack of subsidies, Apple's profit margins, and the rumored 8GB storage capacity, it's hard to see how appealing even a slightly discounted iPad 2 would be. iCloud and iTunes Match would slightly reduce local storage demands, but not significantly.

Would you find an 8GB iPad 2 appealing at $399?

Source: Digitimes

Avid brings the power of a prosumer-level desktop editing suite to the iPad

Avid are well known for creating great editing suites on the desktop platform, and they've brought the power of a prosumer editing app to mobile. Simple, elegant, portable. You can make amazing movies, and for the first time you can do it right on your iPad.

Avid imports content from your camera roll and your sync'd video files. Since the iPad 2 camera isn't the greatest camera in the world, the option to import video from another device is fantastic. Audio content is imported from your Music Library, and you can select from a huge range of sound effects that come with the app.

The UI in Avid Studio is so simple and elegant and works perfectly on the iPad

The primary editing tool is the storyboard that lines up all the content that is in your movie in blocks, to make for easy navigation. When it comes to properly fine-tuning the video, you can turn to the timeline to crop, splice and amend timings. The timeline comes with 1 video track but 3 audio tracks, so you can have sounds play over each other, for soundtracks, sound effects and even a voiceover. Most effects and features are easy to find, but there are some hidden ones -- if you drag a video over a video in your timeline, you can add it as a picture in picture or just replace it completely.

All these features don't come without some flaws though. If you make a certain changes, like move a title or add a transition, your preview video won't play properly until you render the video. Rendering doesn't take too long but is a little bit annoying to have to sit through constantly. The app also only supports video formats that the iPad supports, specifically H.264 MP4 files, so you won't be importing any AVCHD footage from your HD camera, or old AVI or MPG files any time soon.

Nevertheless, Apple has their work cut out for them if they want to recapture the video editor crown any time soon.

Avid Studio needs to render big changes, but it doesn't take too long.

The Good

• Clean, seamless interface
• As powerful as a desktop app
• Feature rich

The Bad

• Rendering takes time
• Formats limited to those iPad supports
• iPad only, no iPhone version

The Conclusion

If you want a basic, yet powerful editing suite on your iPad, Avid is currently the best choice on the market, and at an unbelievably good price. Despite the need to render larger changes, Avid makes up for it with it's sheer amount of functions, and flexibility in making the video how you want it, and not having to follow any set templates.

$4.99 - Download Now

Today we have some pretty decent sales going on in the App Store in time for some last minute holiday shopping!

First up we have TomTom North America U.S.A. [iTunes Link], which if you don't mind dropping Canada from your drive can save you some cash -- $49.99. Not too shabby! Again, if you don't care about Canada, grab the US-only version quick as the reduced app is only available until December 31st.

This next one will be painful for some of you as the game was recently released for $10, a whopping $5 higher than it currently is being offered... Super Monkey Ball 2 [iTunes Link] is now on sale for only $4.99 - this weekend only!

Finally we have one for all of you math lovers out there, Wolfram Alpha [iTunes Link] is on sale for $19.99. So if you are in need of carrying around an all-in-one math tool in your pocket and don't want to spend 50 bucks for it's regular price, grab this before the sale ends on December 31st.

If you know of any good deals going on this holiday season be sure mention it in the comments or feel free contact us directly!

If you are not familiar with our Apps for Less posts, they are a great way for us to point out a few good iPhone (and iPod touch) applications available in the App Store that are currently on sale, or ones that have come down permanently to a price that we feel are worth mentioning to our readers.

Today we have some good news for all of you Konami fans out there. Konami has announced that every single game in the iPhone catalog is on sale for $.99 until November 30th. The titles are as follows:

• Metal Gear Solid Touch - The award-winning commercial warfare adventure brings Old Snake to the iPhone though five chapters spanning 20 stages in which familiar enemies attempt to keep Snake from accomplishing his mission.
• Field Prowlers POLICE RUSH! - In this all-new exciting car chase game, players assume the role of a police officer sworn to protect and serve by chasing down criminals and arresting them. Gamers will draw lines on the touch panel with their finger and guide their two patrol cars to hunt down bomber vehicles on the run from the law. To succeed, players will have to capture all the criminals across 30 missions over several distinct stages.
• Frogger - Help guide one of Konami's most beloved characters safely across the highway while avoiding oncoming traffic and other obstacles.
• Silent Hill: The Escape - Enter the fear-provoking town of Silent Hill where players must solve puzzles, uncover dark secrets and gather clues to avoid grotesque monsters and survive.
• Silent Scope - Players will fight to save the President and the First Family from terrorists by using their marksmanship skills in this fast-paced rail shooter.
• Krazy Kart Racing - Pick one of ten classic Konami heroes and speed across 16 themed racing circuits in this 3D cartoon styled racer.
• DanceDanceRevolution S - In this addictive music rhythm game, choose from up to three gameplay modes with 26 songs and 18 playable characters.
• DanceDanceRevolution S+ - Groove in classic DDR style, but with an added bonus of being able to download new tunes to tap to on the go.
• Power Pros Touch - Experience the crowd cheers, fight songs and over 120 variations of play-by-play baseball commentary as players chose from 25 to 162 game seasons.

If you see any other great deals, let us know in the comments, or send them our way any time for inclusion in a future Apps for Less!

For those of you who are not familiar with our Apps for Less posts, they are a great way for us to point out a few good iPhone (and iPod touch) applications available in the App Store that are currently on sale, or ones that have come down to a price permanently that we feel are worth mentioning to our readers.

Today's first application happens to be one of my personal favorites - Pocket Tunes Radio. [iTunes Link] Not only does it have a ton of free internet radio stations you also get the ability to stream Sirius XM channels. And most of the channels that were omitted from the official Sirius XM application are actually available with Pocket Tunes Radio! Howard Stern anyone? Pocket Tunes Radio is now available for a limited time for $7.99 - $2 off it's regular price.

Next up we have a pair of retro games many of you old school gamers should enjoy. Namco's Galaga REMIX [iTunes Link] and Dig Dug REMIX [iTunes Link] are now on sale for $2.99 a piece! Namco has added a nice twist to two great classic games - the ability to play both the original arcade games and new remixed versions with new boss battles, power-up items, etc...

Last up for today we have another great iPhone game, ngmoco's Star Defense [iTunes Link] has dropped permanently to a low $2.99! This is one game that has been covered here at TiPb more than once, so be sure to check it out.

So there you have it, three great applications at low prices that hopefully some of you will take advantage of. If you happen to have an application in the App Store that is on sale and want everyone to know about it, feel free to contact us and let us know!

For those of you who are not familiar with our Apps for Less posts, they are simply a way for us to point out a few good applications in the App Store on sale or at a price that we feel is worth mentioning to our valued readers.

First up we have an Apps for Less favorite, BeejiveIM [iTunes Link]. This application has been spotlighted in Apps for Less 3 times with the price dropping as low as $9.99. We have some good news for you, BeejiveIM is once again on sale for the low price of $9.99. You may be thinking that the price is still too high but honestly, you will not find a better IM client on the App Store, plain and simple. So if you are looking for the best out there, this is the one for you.

Next up we have a good one for all of you Kung Fu + word game fans. WordFu [iTunes Link] is a dice-based word game that combines a Kung Fu theme with many elements of other popular word games. Your task is to assemble as many words from the given letters as possible. All in all it's a fun game that is pretty simple to play and for the low price of $.99 can you really go wrong? Just keep in mind it is a limited time sale. The price will be increasing so grab it as soon as possible!

The last app we have for you today is a little game called Enigmo [iTunes Link]. Enigmo has been one of the most successful games within the App Store.

"Enigmo is the most unique game that you'll find for the iPhone or iPod Touch. It is a 3D puzzle game where you manipulate slides, bumpers, and other pieces to control streams of flowing liquid. Liquids (water, oil, and lava) fall from "droppers" and will bounce around the walls of a puzzle. You move and rotate the various puzzle pieces in order to divert the flow of the falling droplets so that they can reach their target. The faster you complete each level, the more bonus you will receive."

This is one great game with an even greater price. For a limited time you can now purchase this app for the cheap price of $.99! That's $3.00 off the regular price so don't delay!

Hopefully some of you can take advantage and get in on these deals before it is too late! Enjoy!