There will be no delays as Apple has just confirmed iPad 2 will be available this Friday, March 25 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Hungary, Iceland, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Mexico, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Poland, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland and the UK. Just like the US launch, online orders will begin a 1am (they don’t say which time zone?) and in store purchases will be available starting 5pm local time.

While competitors are still struggling to catch up with our first iPad, we’ve changed the game again with iPad 2,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We’re experiencing amazing demand for iPad 2 in the US, and customers around the world have told us they can’t wait to get their hands on it. We appreciate everyone’s patience and we are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

Apple also announced that iPad 2 will be available in Hong Kong, Korea, Singapore and additional countries in April.

If you’re having trouble deciding if you want an iPad 2, or which of the 12 models you want (no CDMA versions outside the US), check out our iPad 2 buyers guide and full on iPad 2 review. Then let us know what country you’re in and whether you’re ordering online or lining up!

[Apple PR]

Apple’s iPad launched in 11 more countries today, namely Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, Hungary, Malaysia, Norway, Poland, Portugal, South Korea, Sweden, and Taiwan. While many of you snuck them out of the US or other countries early on, many more are just getting them for the first time. Did you get a new iPad today, are you planning on getting one over the holidays? Let us know in the comments!

Either way, if you’re wondering what to do after you get your shiny new iPad just keep reading after the break for TiPb’s advice on getting updated, apps, accessories, tips, and help!

[List of countries via MacRumors, thanks Jarl-otto for the picture!]

• Get updated: Chances are your new iPad came with iOS 4.2.1 but just in case the shipments went out early and you got iOS 3.2 instead, make sure you plug it into iTunes see if there’s an iOS 4.2.1 software update waiting for you. Download it and let iTunes do its thing. We don’t recommend using an iPhone or iPod backup to restore from — it can make things glitchy. Set it up as new iPad now and save yourself some headaches later. (And hey, if you like tips like this, check out our tips section for more!)

• Get up to speed. Our iOS 4.2 for iPad walkthrough is a must-read. If you’re in a rush and just want to get started now, now, now, each walkthrough begins with an “everything you need to know in 10 minutes video” so click, watch, and get going!

• Get apps and games. There are 10s of thousands of iPad specific apps in the iTunes App Store and you can also run iPhone apps in pixel-double mode. We’re keeping track of them in our Apps section which is full of the latest news and reviews.

• Get accessories. Every Apple device looks the same and every Apple Store sells the same stuff. If you’re wanting something different — a splash of color, a bit of style, a new look, check out our accessory reviews for all the pros, cons, and ratings.

• Get talking. If you just want to talk about your new iPad and all those apps and accessories, or if you need help getting started (or to trouble-shoot bugs), or advice and recommendations, we have the best community on the web waiting for you (yes, you!): TiPb Forums. We’ve even got a Jailbreak Forum if you’re curious and want to more about taking your iPhone into expert mode.

Still not enough? Check out the other posts. We’ve got contests and give-aways, polls and award votes, bug fixes and how tos, and much, much more. Bookmark TiPb now and come back often, we want to hear from you!

Steve Jobs dropped the July 30 date for next big rollout during the iPhone 4 press conference but now Apple has gone and made it official:

Beginning this Friday, customers can purchase iPhone 4 in Australia, Austria, Belgium, Canada, Denmark, Finland, Hong Kong, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, New Zealand, Singapore, Spain, Sweden and Switzerland. iPhone 4 will be available for purchase through Apple’s retail and online stores and Apple® Authorized Resellers.

Nice to see, but we’d still prefer pre-orders, reservations, Apple Online Store updates to say something other than “coming soon”, official word on when Apple Retail Stores will be open, information from carriers on upgrade eligibility, MicroSIM availability, plans, etc.

You know, everything else required for a launch…!

Looks like the heads of Norway, and the American National Security Agency (NSA), have both gotten their hands on Apple’s new iPad and — they like it.

First it was Norwegian Prime Minister Jens Stotlenberg, who was snapped using an iPad while waiting out the volcanic ash-imposed flight delays back to Europe. Looks like he was also sporting Apple’s iPad case, which based on our quick review isn’t exactly the best choice to avoid nasty ash stains… Still, watching an entire nation being run on an iPad — the future is here.

Speaking of — and on — the future of nations and computing, Forbes reports that current NSA boss and 3-star general Keith Alexander (who may soon be 4-star general, in charge of US Cyber Command) testified that he had an iPad as well, and that it was “wonderful”.

While we don’t generally cover iPhone sightings here on TiPb anymore because (sorry sibling sites), they’re pretty much mainstream and in half the TV shows and hands we see these days, early political adoption struck us as beyond cool.

Anyone else running anything else interesting on their iPads?

[Thanks to the Reptile for the tip!]

It’s been an interesting road since Apple launched iTunes Plus, originally only offering DRM-free music for EMI and independent labels. Now everyone is on board — or will be by the end of April — and Apple has righted the wrong of requiring every track to be updated all at once. So what else is going on?

Seems like Apple accidentally charged some upgraders $9.99 to take their albums to iTunes Plus, but Macworld says Apple is making it right:

Your request is flagged for follow-up and I will contact you once I can fully refund your order. Please note that processing can take up to five business days from the date of purchase. I also issued 5 courtesy song credits for any inconvenience this issue may have caused you.

The move to iTunes Plus has also helped get Norway to put its anti-competitive hammer away, according to Ars:

The DRM-free tracks (iTunes Plus) are now compatible with any music player that can play AAC files and are therefore free of the restrictive iPod tie-in that has annoyed so many customers. “We have no reason to pursue them anymore,” Norway’s consumer mediator Bjoern Erik Thon told AFP.

Norway should have, of course, being going after the record labels instead of Apple, but we’ll let bygones be bygones now, won’t we?

Looks like Apple might be shutting down iTunes in the US and Norway. At least that’s what VP of Internet Services (iTunes, Mobile Me, App Store), Eddy Cue says (via Macrumors):

“If the [iTunes music store] was forced to absorb any increase in the … royalty rate, the result would be to significantly increase the likelihood of the store operating at a financial loss – which is no alternative at all. Apple has repeatedly made it clear that it is in this business to make money, and most likely would not continue to operate [the iTunes music store] if it were no longer possible to do so profitably.”

What’s the deal’yo? In two separate, but equally perplexing bits of news, the US Government is thinking of dumping an extra $0.15 surcharge (going to copyright holders) onto digital downloads, which would result in either consumers paying $1.14 a track for iTunes music, or Apple eating the $0.15 itself.

Since Apple already gives the record labels $0.70 per download, and out of the remaining $0.30, pays all the bandwidth, storage, infrastructure, credit card and other transactional feeds, administration, etc., cutting that margin in half is not realistic for a for-profit company (can you say shareholder lawsuit?)

Hey, here’s an idea, why not take that from the record label’s cut? They’ve made a business out of negating artists rights (remember, they went to court to get ringtones declared derivative works, so they don’t have to pay artists — but still charge consumers ridiculous, pure profit, premiums for them!), so it seems only fair restitution should come from their end (provided the artist still holds the copyright…)

Meanwhile, Norway wants Apple to open Fairplay DRM. While Apple has publicly stated they themselves want to rid music of DRM, the record labels won’t give them DRM-free music (preferring to use it to bolster competitors like Amazon and Naptser), so how about Norway go have a word with the Big 4? I’m sure everyone else would love to be rid of that short-sighted bit of un-usability. Then go swing the mystic hammer at Hollywood and get us DRM free TV and movies while they’re at it. As we all know, DRM doesn’t stop real pirates, it just makes it harder for real users to manage.

What do you think? Is Apple rightly on the hook? Or is it time pressure was placed where it really belongs, on the Big Media companies?

Two of the Scandinavian nations have just released their iPhone 3G plans. First up is TeliaSonera, with iMini plans starting with 18 month contracts at 299 SEK for 100 min./SMS/MB, with 8GB handsets for 2495 SEK and 16GB for 3295 SEK. iMidi is 250/250/250, and topping out with iMaxi at 859 SEK for 1000/1000/1000 and handsets for 1395 SEK or 2195 SEK.

There’s an iMidi plan as well, and 2-year contracts gets a handset discount. Still, that a US$145 a month obligation for 1GB of data… Ouch.

But it’s not as bad as Netcom in Norway! iTalk Small is 399 NOR for 100/100/100, with 1390 NOR or 2290 NOR for the handset, and iTalk Large is 1099 NOR for 1000/1000/1000 with 1 NOR or 890 NOR for the handset. That’s $221 a month for 1GB!

And I thought Canadians were getting hosed. What happened to mythical Midgard data pipes, where costs are negligible and speeds are the stuff of legend? Is the evil Loki… er… Nokia behind it? iPhone 3G Thor, taste them thine hammer!

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In keeping with other recent, ridiculously short and detail-free iPhone statements:

TeliaSonera today announced it has signed an agreement with Apple to bring the iPhone to Sweden, Norway, Denmark, Finland, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia later this year.

By Odin-One-Eye, the iPhone is coiling its way across the globe like the World Serpent in search of its tasty Thor-snack. Does this mean Ragnarok for Nokia on its home turf, or just that mythological metaphors strain awfully fast in blog intros?

Gotcha.

Table shattering score card now link list:

Launched: Austria (T-Mobile), France (Orange), Germany (T-Mobile), Ireland (O2), UK (O2), USA (AT&T)

Announced: Africa (Orange), Argentina (America Movil), Australia (Vodafone / SingTel), Austria (Orange), Belgium (Orange), Brazil (America Movil), Canada (Rogers), Chile (America Movil), Columbia (America Movil), the Czech Republic (Vodafone), Denmark (TeliaSonera), Dominican Republic (America Movil/ Orange), Ecuador (America Movil), Egypt (Vodafone / Orange), El Salvador (America Movil), Estonia (TeliaSonera), Finland (TeliaSonera), Greece (Vodafone), Guatamala (America Movil), Honduras (America Movil), India (Vodafone / SingTel), Italy (Vodafone / Telecom Italia), Jamaica (America Movil), Jordan (Orange), Latvia (TeliaSonera), Lithuania (TeliaSonera), Mexico (America Movil), New Zealand (Vodafone), Nicaragua (America Movil), Norway (TeliaSonera), Paraguay (America Movil), Peru (America Movil), Philippines (SingTel), Poland (Orange), Portugal (Vodafone / Orange), Puerto Rico (America Movil), Romania (Orange), Singapore (SingTel), Slovakia (Orange), South Africa (Vodafone), Switzerland (Swisscom / Orange), Turkey (Vodafone), Uruguay (America Movil)

Rumored: Netherlands (?),

Note: Extent of America Movil and Orange Africa deployment not yet fully detailed.

Lately I’ve been ending these by asking “Who’s next?” but, honestly at this point, “who’s left?”

Anyone want dibs on Antarctica?

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