According to a sudden flooding of reports, the jury in the Apple vs. Samsung U.S. trial has come to a verdict...

...and we won't find out what that verdict is until later this afternoon.

Yes, just like American Idol, when they tease results and then cut to commercial, all we can do now is wait until later this afternoon, Pacific Time, to find out more.

Both Apple and Samsung have spent weeks in trial, and millions of dollars presenting their case. Apple has claimed Samsung is a copycat writ large, and Samsung has responded vigorously in the negative. Along the way we've seen some interesting iPhone and iPad prototypes, gotten a glimpse at some interesting moments in iPhone and iPad history, seen what Apple originally offered Samsung, and watched executives on both sides not come to any settlements, but mostly just watched the legal system strut and fret its hours upon the courtroom stage.

So grab a tasty snack, pour some spicy drink, and settle in. We'll update with what will likely be the incredibly complex, item by item, device by device, patent by patent verdict as soon as it becomes available.

You can now follow iMore, and our Mobile Nations sibling sites on the new app.net social network/micro-blogging service:

• @MobileNations
• @AndroidCentral
• @CrackBerry
• @iMore
• @webOSNation
• @WPCentral

And you can follow many of our editors, writers, and hosts there as well:

• @reneritchie
• @cbk (Kevin Michaluk)
• @philnickinson
• @kessler (Derek Kessler)
• @llofte (Leanna Lofte)
• @iMuggle (Ally Kazmucha)
• @azeis (Adam Zeis)
• @sethclifford
• @marcedwards

app.net is a Twitter-style social network that, instead of selling advertising based on reader engagement, charges an up-front fee to end users -- $50 for individuals or $100 for developers who want API access. Neither service is "free". With Twitter, you pay with your content and attention. With app.net, you pay with your money. They're simply different business models. Neither is inherently better than the other, the important thing is different is good, and options are good. Especially options that make app.net stand apart from Jaiku, Pownce, Buzz, and other not-Twitters that came before.

There's an argument to be made that app.net isn't different enough from Twitter in one crucial regard -- it's run by one company, rather than being a open standard like email or RSS. The worry is, if someone already sees Twitter becoming too much of a dictatorship, even if app.net is a more benevolent dictatorship, one day that too may change. Fair point.

Also, at $50/year to play, it probably won't appeal to casual users, or to the very people Twitter wants to target -- those who follow a hundred celebrities and #hashtag the crap out of their American Idol and similar TV-driven tweets. But it will likely appeal to the same people who originally used Twitter, who helped spread and grow the platform. And even if it's never big enough for Twitter to notice or fear, it could just become big enough for us geeks to notice and enjoy.

It's smaller, quieter, almost more intimate than Twitter at this point -- or more like the way Twitter was at the beginning. And it's still in alpha, with native apps for iPhone and iPad still very much private betas and works in progress.

But app.net is there, and for right now, for Mobile Nations, for iMore, and for us geeks, that's what matters.

If you're using app.net as well, drop a link for your @name in the comments and @iMore will follow you, and continue the discussion there...

While some may still scoff at the iPad as a productivity powerhouse, thanks to spectacular software and, optionally, a kickass portable keyboard, the smart and savvy among us know the iPad can be the best way to get things done while on the go. Wether you're in business or in school, whether you need to create new documents, spreadsheets, or presentations from scratch or simply edit your words, numbers, and slides to perfection, a mobile office suite can quickly go from being a nice-to-have to a must-have to a real life (or career/class) saver.

And the iPad has several excellent office suite options to choose from. Apple's iWork comes as three separate apps, Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. BlackBerry-maker RIM's Documents To Go is an integrated, Microsoft-like powerhouse. And Google's newly acquired Quickoffice Pro HD likewise offers everything all in one place. But which is the best for you and your workflow?

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: User interface and workflow

Apple's mobile suite of apps is actually three separate apps, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote. They are universal, however, so once you buy them they work for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. Even though all three are purchased separately, Apple has done a good job of making the user experience and general workflow the same across all of them.

Upon initially launching Pages, Numbers, or Keynote on your iPad you'll be asked whether or not you'd like to sync your documents to iCloud. If you've already got documents stored in iCloud from another iOS device or Mac, they'll be right there ready for you to pick up where you left off. Tapping any one of them will open it.

Once you're inside a document whether it be a word processing document, spreadsheet, or presentation, you'll see a navigation bar along the top. This is where all of your commands and options will be located. While the menu style may vary slightly between Pages, Keynote, and Numbers the user experience is pretty consistent across all three and all the tools and options you'd expect to find are right there.

When working with word documents you can tap anywhere on the screen to start typing. A virtual keyboard will appear as well as a formatting bar along the top that allows you to change fonts, sizes, margins, indentation, and more. The same type of menu system is also available in both Numbers and Keynote as well but tweaked somewhat for each individual application's needs.

Once choosing the type of spreadsheet you'd like in Numbers you'll see a bar along the top to add more sheets to the current book as well as formatting and function tools. If you need to input data into a cell you can simply double tap on the cell you'd like to edit and the keyboard will pop up. Instead of seeing a formatting menu like you do in Pages you'll see a formula bar and quick links for common spreadsheet tasks such as auto-inserting time or date. You can manually start typing in formulas or click the "=" sign in order to access a functions menu which provides access to commonly used formulas and symbols.

Keynote will operate in a very similar fashion and open any documents you currently have stored in iCloud. You can also create a new presentation from a template or from scratch. Once you're inside a presentation you'll see the typical formatting bar along the top that consists of a formatting tool, add slide button, settings button, and play button.

Manipulating slides is also easy and can be done by dragging them in different positions. Tapping on an already highlighted slide will bring up a popup menu that gives you the options to cut, copy, delete, skip, and add transitions.

Documents To Go is a complete suite that has the ability to open and edit word processing documents, spreadsheets, and presentations all in one single app. Along the bottom you'll notice a row of tabs that consists of local files, desktop files, online files, recents, store, search, and settings.

The local, desktop, and online tabs give you access to documents in different places. The local tab will store anything that you've created and maintained on your iPad. The desktop tab will sync any documents between the free desktop application and your iPad. The online tab allows you to access and edit documents that you've got stored elsewhere on a cloud storage service. Documents To Go currently supports Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, and SugarSync. Once you're signed in you can navigate through all your folders and open and edit documents as you wish. Once you're done Documents To Go can save the file directly to where you already have it stored.

Editing word documents within Documents To Go is easy enough. Once you open a word document you'll be able to start adding and editing content immediately. The bottom toolbar will give you options to increase margins and change paragraph styles, customize fonts, and create different kinds of lists and bullets. Once you're done, Documents To Go will simply save the document so you can pick up from any other device or machine you'd like to work from.

Just like you'd open a word document you can open a spreadsheet. The bottom toolbar will be similar to what you see when editing word files but the controls will change to suit working with spreadsheets. You'll have options to edit and add sheets, move columns or rows, delete them, and more. The formula bar will stay stationary at the top of the app and allow you to start typing formulas quickly. If you need to add cells the the formula you can just tap on them to add the cell location.

While Documents To Go does offer the ability to create and edit presentations you'll only be able to edit presentations that are saved in Microsoft Office format. If you've saved all your presentations in Keynote, you'll have to either re-save them in .ppt format or you'll only be able to view them, not edit.

Once inside a presentation you'll see a screen that allows you to add notes and edit the main slide. The screen is split to allow you to view notes and slides at the same time. Along the bottom you'll find the typical toolbar that allows you to insert slides, duplicate them, delete them, or jump to different slides. The layout is easy to navigate but somewhat limited in terms of functionality. There are only a few templates you can choose from and none of them are quite breathtaking.

Quickoffice Pro HD consists of a main menu that shows everything currently accessible in Quickoffice that is stored on your iPad. Clicking the "+" sign in the lower left hand corner allows you to add syncing services so you can access documents stored to them. After you set up a syncing service it will show up in the left hand pane so you can navigate between local files and cloud files easily.

Navigate to the file you want to open and tap it to have Quickoffice open it. While Documents To Go uses a bottom navigation bar, Quickoffice Pro HD's navigation will be located at the top of the screen. Just like Documents To Go, the menus will change to suit the type of document you're opening.

When editing a word document you'll have quick access to common things like bolding, italicizing, and underlining. On the far right you also have another menu that will let you customize fonts, colors, and more.

Opening a spreadsheet in Quickoffice Pro HD is very much like opening a word processing document. You'll have the same bar along the top but again it'll be tailored to common spreadsheet tasks such as changing number formats, bolding, italicizing, and more. The top right menu will allow you to customize font type and size. To use formulas you can just start typing them in the top formula bar and commonly used options will start populating.

Just like Documents To Go, Quickoffice Pro HD plays a lot nicer with PowerPoint documents than it does Numbers. If you use .ppt files this won't be an issue but if you use Keynote you'll need to convert them in order to edit them.

When it comes to interface, the iWork suite of apps provide the most uniform experience while retaining the functions that are unique to each individual type of workflow. Pages, Keynote, and Numbers manage to utilize a familiar interface without taking away from any one type of task.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Word documents

Pages for iPad makes it easy to edit documents on the go and will work with any native Pages file format or Microsoft Office file (.doc or .docx). The minimal UI combined with common features that you'd expect to find in a word processing app make it easy to use and easy to navigate.

Once you open a new document or choose a template you can immediate tap the screen in order to bring up the virtual keyboard and start typing. The formatting menu for texts, paragraphs, and spacing will stay on the screen as long as the keyboard is active for easy access to commonly used functions. The formatting tool works in conjunction with whatever you've got selected or highlighted. The plus sign allows you to add media, tables, charts, and shapes to your document.

Pages allows you to interact not only with text but with images too. You can add, cut, resize, delete, and replace images quickly and easily. Pages will pull from your camera roll, albums, and events already on your iPad. Just tap the plus sign and drop in an image. You can then resize it and drag it around as well as choose the formatting tool in order to change how text wraps around it.

Documents To Go will allow you open any .doc or .docx file. Once you've opened a document you can start typing and use the formatting bar along the bottom to add things such as bullet lists, double line spacing, different margins or paragraphs, and more. The settings icon will give you access to a word count feature, full screen mode, and a find and replace tool. The top menu also gives you access to undo and redo buttons.

While you can cut images out of documents there is currently no way to add or manipulate images. This means your documents will be strictly text unless you've added images from another Office suite on a different computer. They'll load just fine and you can work around them but there isn't much you can do with them.

Quickoffice Pro HD operates in almost the exact same way Documents To Go does except the formatting bar runs along the top of the screen instead of at the bottom. You'll have all the things you'd expect to find when it comes to manipulating text but again, there are no abilities to add or manipulate existing images in your documents. I even had issues highlighting to delete images in Quickoffice Pro HD.

When it comes to word processing, all three will provide the standard text input features you'd come to expect but Pages in the only option that allows you to not only manipulate and work with media such as images, charts, and graphs, but insert them natively.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Spreadsheets

Numbers, the iWork counterpart for spreadsheets, will allow you to edit any spreadsheet made in either Numbers on Mac or Excel on PC. Once you've launched a spreadsheet you can immediately start tapping into cells and editing or adding new content.

Double-tapping will bring up the virtual keyboard and allow you to start punching in data. If there's already data or a formula in that cell, the formula bar will show you that information. You can also add tabs along the top of Numbers by tapping the plus sign next to the last sheet in a workbook. Just like word processing, the format paint brush will dynamically change to format anything that's currently highlighted or selected. This makes it super easy to grab large chunks of data and convert them into charts or graphs.

You can also add media such as photos to your spreadsheets as well. Clicking the "+" sign will allow you to add photos from your iPad and predesigned charts, tables, and shapes. While Numbers and Excel don't always use the same syntax for formulas I've found that Numbers handles most documents just fine. I've come across very few instances where Numbers broke formulas from Excel documents. You've got to be using extremely complex formulas in order to trip it up. Basic algebra and even most advanced formulas will transfer over correctly as long as the syntax was written correctly in Excel.

Documents To Go gives you the ability to both view and edit any spreadsheet with a .xls or .xlsx format. Once you've tapped into the spreadsheet you'll see your commonly used functions along the bottom and an undo/redo option in the top right. You can manipulate and resize columns and tables as you'd wish by dragging them into new positions.

The options along the bottom allow you to change cell formats or change number formats as well as format fonts. The formula bar will always stay stationary at the top of the screen for easy access. In order to input or view an existing formula just highlight the cell that you'd like to enter a new one or view a current one.

Adding sheets or removing them is easy within Documents To Go as well. To the right of the formula bar you'll see a sheet button. Tap it to view all the sheets in the current document. Tapping edit will allow you to delete sheets, re-order them, or drop a new sheet where you'd like.

Quickoffice Pro HD handles all file formats for Excel just like Pages and Documents To Go. Your menu along the top will be your go to place for all your formatting needs. Once you tap into a cell you'll be able to start typing on the virtual keyboard or view any formulas that are already in that cell. You can also use the top formula bar as a way to view the formulas by single tapping on a cell.

Along the bottom you'll see a list of tabs that currently exist that you can toggle between. Tapping the plus sign will allow you to create a new blank sheet. One thing I do particularly like in Quickoffice Pro HD is that when you've got the keyboard pulled up the tabs for sheets raises up so you can always switch between sheets without the need to hide the keyboard first.

When it comes to spreadsheets Numbers, Documents To Go, and Quickoffice Pro HD will all give you the ability to edit formulas and perform basic tasks. If you need to add images, charts, graphs, and easily manipulate anything other than text input, Numbers is the only program that allows you to do so natively.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Slideshows and presentations

Keynote allows you to easily open any Keynote or Microsoft PowerPoint document and begin editing it immediately. Just like Numbers and Pages you'll have your formatting bar along the top that will allow you to add and manipulate content as you wish.

Keynote comes with quite a few templates to choose from that look rather good considering they're coming from a stock gallery. Once you're in a project you can add slides and transitions via the top menu or use the format paintbrush to work with anything you've got highlighted. You can also change slide order by just dragging slides around in the left hand navigation panel. Tapping on a highlighted slide will also give you the option to work with that slide in certain ways such as adding transitions.

Documents To Go will only read PowerPoint files so if you're a Keynote user on a Mac you'll need to convert your documents over to .ppt format in order to open them in Documents To Go. In my experience this sometimes results in losing transitions and other types of shadows and features that Keynote offers.

Nonetheless, you'll be able to edit any .ppt file by just tapping on it to open it. The page will show a split pane between the actual slide and note cards. You can tap the notes tab in order to hide it but your slide will still only occupy the top portion of the screen if you're working in portrait orientation. If you're in landscape it will allow the notes tab to hover on the side while showing full screen slides. Pulling out the notes tab in landscape will divide the screen left to right instead of top and bottom. While landscape mode gives you a bit more space to work with, it's still a bit funny when it comes to workflow and spacing.

Along the bottom you'll find all the functions you need to add transitions, insert slides, or jump to an existing slide using the slide picker feature. The one disappointing aspect of Document's To Go's implementation is that you can't add or edit images. This is a complete let down consider text only slides are more than boring and most people will rely on adding images to their slides.

Quickoffice Pro HD takes a bit better of an approach to handling presentations than Documents To Go. All your slides will show along the bottom or the side depending what orientation you're working in. Your main menu will run along the top and allow you to play the project or add media such as images, charts, and shapes as well as text bubbles and other things specific to slide presentations. The one downer I found in Quickoffice Pro HD is the lack of transitions. As far as I'm aware there are none and no way to add them.

Keynote not only handles presentations better than both Documents To Go and Quickoffice Pro HD but gives you access to beautiful designed templates that you can edit as much as you'd like as well as a better navigation system with well-placed tools. If you plan on putting together a lot of presentations on your iPad, Documents To Go is the worst choice due the not being able to add any kind of media into your presentation.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Cross-platform and cloud syncing

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote all support iCloud which means any documents you've got stored will automatically be made available across any iCloud enabled device whether that be an iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, or Mac. The iOS versions of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers are universal downloads for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch but you will have to purchase the Mac versions separately. There's also support for iTunes syncing and WebDAV.

If you plan on storing most of your documents in a service like Dropbox or Google Docs it should be no surprise that none of Apple's iWork apps support it since they offer their own native service.

Documents To Go supports cloud syncing with Google Docs, Box.net, Dropbox, and SugarSync. If you use any of these services you won't have any problem saving and pulling documents to and from them. You can also navigate to any folder you'd like and start a new document within it as opposed to storing it locally.

When it comes to computer counterparts, Documents To Go doesn't have one but that probably isn't a huge deal to most users as the app is made to compliment either the iWork for destkop apps or Microsoft Office on the desktop. Documents To Go does, however, offer a sync client for both Mac and PC to sync your documents back and forth between your computer and iPad. It works very much like Dropbox or any other online service would work by creating a folder on your computer to sync to your iPad. You can create sub-folders inside of it and drag any documents you'd like available on your iPad to it.

The only catch is that to sync these documents you'll have to be on the same Wi-Fi network and have the Documents To Go app open on your iPad before attempting to sync. Considering the app offers cloud sync options, the desktop app really doesn't serve a point anymore anyways.

Quickoffice Pro HD supports even more sync services than Documents To Go when it comes to cloud storage. It's compatible with Google Drive, Dropbox, Box.net, Evernote, Catch, SugarSync, Huddle, and Egnyte. Regardless what service you use you should have aboslutely no issues hoooking it up to Quickoffice Pro.

Again, Quickoffice Pro HD doesn't have a suite for Mac or PC but no one should really expect them to. Most users already have a workflow with either iWork or Microsoft Office and only want an iPad app as a companion and on the go option.

When it comes to syncing, the iWork suite of apps consisting of Pages, Keynote, and Numbers is hands down the best option if you're an iCloud and Mac user and don't have an issue storing all your documents in Apple's highly abstracted pool. It works seamlessly and effortlessly. Wherever you have a connection you have all your documents. It doesn't get any simpler than that.

If you don't use iCloud, or you're a PC user that doesn't have the option to use iWork on your computer, QuickOffice Pro HD offers the most options when it comes to syncing.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro HD: Pricing

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are three separate app purchases in the App Store and will run you $9.99 each for a total of $30 for the entire suite. This will get you access from any iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch you own. If you're a Mac user and would like to use the Mac versions in correlation to the iOS versions, they're also sold separately in the Mac App Store and will cost $19.99 a piece. All in all you're looking at around $100 after tax to own the entire collection. This isn't bad considering what Microsoft Office on its own costs for Mac or PC. The best part about iWork being sold as separate apps is that you can always choose to only buy the ones that you know you'll use. If you never have a need to create spreadsheets, don't buy Numbers. If you never create presentations, you can get away with not buying Keynote. It's an easy way to save you some money.

Documents To Go Premium will run you $16.99 in the App Store but it's a universal download for iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. The desktop application is free to download for both Mac and PC but if you're using any kind of cloud syncing service you probably won't have a need for it anyways.

Quickoffice Pro HD goes for $19.99 in the App Store and it's an iPad only app. If you'd like the regular version of Quickoffice Pro for iPhone and iPod touch as well it'll run you an additional $14.99. Still not too bad when it comes to a complete mobile office suite.

Pages, Numbers, and Keynote will obviously cost you the most so if you're concerned about price, one of the other two is a better option. Documents To Go offers the lowest price with a universal app but the other two may be better options in terms of functionality and feature set. When it comes to value, the iWork suite of apps will offer the most bang for your buck.

iWork vs. Documents To Go vs. Quickoffice Pro: The bottom line

If you're a Windows user, and you want to be able to sync between your iPad and your Windows PC, Quickoffice HD Pro is best choice for you, even if it's not the best choice overall. Until Microsoft does the right thing and releases a native version of Office for iOS. (Write Steve Ballmer, use a lot of exclamation points!)

If you're a Mac user with Pages, Numbers, and Keynote on the desktop, or if you just want to work and sync between iPad and another iOS devices, Pages, Numbers, and Keynote are the best apps for creating, editing, and sharing any kind of document on your iPad. The complete suite provides a streamline experience and interface that just can't be matched.

Pages - $9.99 - Download Now

Numbers - $9.99 - Download Now

Keynote - $9.99 - Download Now

Documents To Go Premiun - $16.99 - Download Now

Quickoffice Pro HD - $19.99 - Download Now

John Gruber of Daring Fireball wrote yesterday that he thinks it's unlikely Apple will introduce both the iPhone 5 and iPad mini at the same event, rumored to be taking place on September 12.

I'm thinking it makes more sense for Apple to hold two events. First, an iPhone event, focused solely on the new iPhone and iOS 6. Then, the iPhone ships nine days later, and there's another wave of iPhone-focused attention as the reviews come out. Then, in the first or second week of October, Apple holds its traditional "music event", exactly along the lines of the events at which they've been debuting new iPods for the last decade. (Maybe more of an "iTunes event" than just "music event", given the rise of other media like TV shows, movies, and books.1)

Jim Dalrymple of The Loop clearly thinks Gruber's on to something. Both Gruber and Dalrymple have helped set the standard for Apple reporting, and have incredibly good track records, so if they even hint at it, I'm going to look into it.

iMore first learned that Apple was going ahead with the iPad mini product back in May, that it would use the iPad interface, and that they were targeting a $200-$250 price point and October launch window. At the end of July, iMore learned that Apple was planning to hold an event on September 12, and that Apple would use that event to announce both the iPhone 5 and iPad mini. Earlier this month, alongside Seth Weintraub of 9to5Mac and Gruber, we reported on what the iPad mini will look and feel like.

But would Apple want it to share the stage with the iPhone 5, or vice versa?

The original iPhone announcement at Macworld 2007 shared the stage with a rehashed announcement for the original Apple TV. The iPhone 3G announcement at WWDC 2008 shared the stage with Snow Leopard and Mobile Me. The iPhone 3GS announcement at WWDC 2009 shared the stage with new MacBook Pros. The iPhone 4 announcement at WWDC 2010, however, didn't share the stage at all. The iPhone 4S announcement didn't even take place at WWDC -- it bumped the annual fall iTunes and iPod event and was given the important pre-holiday spotlight.

Whether there was an issue with Verizon, something to do with iOS 5, iCloud, and/or Siri timelines, or some confluence of reasons, Apple moved what had been a September event to October. And, rather than hold two fall events as Apple had sometimes done with the Mac, Apple held only a single event. They did, however, tack nominal iPod updates onto the iPhone 4S announcement.

So if Apple wanted to hold one event again in the fall of 2012, and they were ready to go in September, and they wanted to hit the market with the full shock and awe of not only an entirely updated iOS device lineup, but an entirely new iOS device -- of an Apple at the height of its powers -- then they certainly could do so. They could blot out the sun on anyone else's fall announcements. And they could arguably get the best of both worlds with a unified introduction followed by a staged rollout, with reviews and new iPhones appearing on September 21, and reviews and the iPad mini appearing in October as scheduled.

But Gruber's argument makes a lot of sense. Both are incredibly important announcements and products for Apple. New iPhones, to date, have sold as much as every previous generation iPhone combined. The iPhone alone makes more money than all of Microsoft. The iPad mini is meant to one day sell in the hundreds of millions as well. It's the future of mainstream computing.

Here's the thing though -- not only hasn't Apple announced an iPhone 5 or iPad mini yet, they haven't announced an iPhone 5 or iPad mini (or iPod) event or events. There's a reason for that. There's a reason Apple waits until the last possible minute to announce anything.

Secrecy is pure upside for Apple. It helps with marketing and competition, but most importantly, it allows them to be tremendously flexible. They can choose which iPhone prototype they're going with mere months before launch, they can choose to pull cameras from iPods right before they're announced, and they can choose between having one event and two events literally up until the minute they finish prepping the first event.

Given what happened when September 12 became rumored, and everyone from Microsoft/Nokia to Verizon/Motorola to Amazon rushed to schedule pre-emptive events, it's hard to argue the value of the strategy.

As of May, 2012, iMore heard Apple was planning the iPad mini for October. As of July, 2012, we heard the announcement had been moved up to the iPhone event rumored for September 12. It may well have been moved back to October, or it may still be in flux, with Apple watching the market and weighing their options.

We'll find out soon.

If you're a fan of Parks and Recreation, Parenthood, Friday Night Lights, Heroes, Battlestar Galactica and other fine television shows made by the folks at NBCUniversal, and you're a subscriber to Amazon Prime, you're in luck -- a deal has been struck to bring all of that, and more, streaming straight to your iPad. Here's what Amazon and NBCUniversal had to say about the announcement:

"We are excited to be working with NBCUniversal to add their award-winning lineup of TV shows such as Parks and Recreation and Friday Night Lights to Prime Instant Video," said Brad Beale, Director of Digital Video Content Acquisition for Amazon. "We continue to invest heavily in our content selection for Prime members, and have now reached over 22,000 movies and TV episodes available instantly with unlimited streaming."

"We are thrilled to have several of our iconic programs available to subscribers of Amazon Prime, a service focused on the best possible consumer experience," said Frances Manfredi, President, Cable & New Media Distribution for NBCUniversal. "We look forward to further expanding NBCU's content offering available to Prime subscribers in the near future."

Amazon Instant Video arrived on the iPad at the beginning of August, and while it's international availability, like most of Amazon's offerings, remains a joke, for Prime subscribers in the U.S., it's a fantastic offering.

Anyone using Amazon Instant Video full time on their iPad yet? Has it replaced iTunes, Netflix, or Hulu for you?

Free - Download now

Articles is an Apple Design Award winning Wikipedia reader from Sophiestication Software with one simple, elegant goal in mind -- to present all the information you want in a fast, fluid, feature-rich format. Articles 2.3 takes all of that makes it equally available for iPhone and iPod touch, and iPad. That's right, Articles 2.3 is now a universal app.

But lets back up a minute. If you're new to the idea of Wikipedia Readers, you may be wondering why you need one. Wikipedia is free on the web, right? Why spend even a couple bucks to wrap it in an app. The answer is interface. You can do far more, far more easily, with a native app than you can do with a web page. There's a reason Facebook finally re-did their app with a native interface -- performance and power. And it's the same reason Articles works so wonderfully with Wikipedia. If you prefer the Facebook app to Facebook.com, or a Twitter app to Twitter.com, you'll prefer Articles to Wikipedia.com. It really is that much better.

Everything that made the original Articles great remains in Articles 2.3 -- delightful design, intuitive interface, smart shortcuts, and the same thumbnail switcher for managing multiple pages that Safari enjoys on iPhone and Mac. Searching for titles or text, showing local points of interest on the map, and the random "shake" for serendipitous subjects all remain as useful today and when they were introduced.

New in Articles 2.3, aside from the aforementioned universal app status for the iPad interface, is read later support. Rather than offload to a service like Instapaper, Pocket, or Readability, Articles takes another cue from Safari an incorporates its own reading list into the app. That's both good and bad. It's good in that, if all you use is Articles, you don't have to create an InstaPockAbility account just to save articles. It's bad in that, if you have an existing InstaPockAbility account, especially if you're a power InstaPockAbility user, it's inconvenient not to have all your stuff in that central repository for your unified later reading pleasure.

Speaking of reading pleasure, simply consuming Wikipedia content via Articles continues to be an outstanding experience. Text flows well, pictures are handled smartly, and tapping and holding links brings up all the extra controls you'd expect. You can even pinch to "zoom" -- make the font size smaller or larger. There's no way to change typefaces, but I'm of two minds on this. On one hand, foundries are finally figuring out how to license some truly amazing type to app developers (check out recent versions of Instapaper). On the other hand, absolute consistency of font makes it almost invisible -- it gets completely out of the way so you don't even think about it. You just read the words.

You can also now share a Wikipedia article you're reading via iOS 5 Twitter integration. Just tap the action button, tap Twitter, and up pops a tweet sheet ready for you to add a pithy comment to and post.

And if you're a Launch Center Pro geek, Articles 2.3 also adds support for iOS URL schemes so you can add all sorts of clever queries to your actions.

The good

• Fast, fluid interface
• Excellent reading experience
• Provides features not available via the web
• Universal app

The bad

• Doesn't integrate with popular third-party read later services.
• No font selection

The bottom line

I read Wikipedia. I don't have time to read books (I'm too busy writing) and the current affairs nature of web sites can be exhausting. So, really late at night, when I'm finally finished working for the day, I read Wikipedia. And I read it in Articles.

Wikipedia.com is fine for a quick Google search but it's not a great reading experience, especially on a mobile device. Articles is.

I like that I can pull down to lock orientation without having to stop, pull up the fast app switcher widget, and make a global change. I like that I can quickly go back through just my Wikipedia history to find something in an article I read recently. I like that I can keep multiple pages upon and quickly tab through them, separate from Safari, which would otherwise obliterate them with other sites I visit during the day. I like all the little shortcuts, so carefully and deliberately thought out, that I don't even have to think about any more, just use as second nature.

If you read Wikipedia, you need a Wikipedia reader, and if you need a Wikipedia reader, you need Articles. It was one of the first, and remains one of the best ways to read Wikpedia not only on the iPhone and iPad, but to read it period.

$1.99 - Download now

Today Only: Buy the Ballistic Tough Jacket Series for The New iPad and iPad 2 and save $37.99!

The Ballistic Tough Jacket Case is equipped with three layers of the strongest protection on the market. Featuring Ballistic Corners, there's extra shock absorption where you need it most. There is a front cover attachment that will help protect the screen during travel, then can be placed on the back of the case to be used as a kickstand for convenient viewing. Comes in black and red.

List Price: $69.99     Today's Price: $32.00

Learn More and Buy Now

Never miss a deal. Sign up for Daily Deal alerts!

Angry Birds Space, the one where Rovio's billion dollar birds chased their popular pigs clear out of orbit, has been updated in fairly geeky, spectacular fashion:

NASA and Angry Birds team up for the most epic episode yet! The piggies have hijacked the Curiosity Mars Rover -- but instead of searching for ice crystals, they're looking for eggs!

You get 20 new levels of Mars busting madness, as well as 2 more antenna egg levels. Work your way past enormous, explosive volcanoes, and avoid the firestorm of falling stars. And meet the new astronaut pig, whom I'm assuming has all the wrong stuff... Find three rovers and landers to reveal bonus levels, and learn even more about Curiosity Mars Rover and NASA.

The Angry Birds franchise certainly isn't new anymore, but they keep finding ways to give the hugely popular game fresh new angles and compelling new content, and bringing NASA and Curiosity Mars into it takes Angry Birds Space to a while new level. No pun intended.

Grab it now from the App Store!

$0.99 for iPhone - Download Now

$2.99 for iPad - Download Now

Reports are starting to come in that state Apple and Samsung have been found guilty of infringing on each others patents by a Korean court. Apple has been found guilty of infringing 2 patents and will be hit with an import ban and a $35,000 fine. Samsung is also facing a fine of $22,000 and a ban for infringing on Apple's elastic scrolling patent, but the court ruled they didn't copy Apple designs or violate their trade dress.

Details are scarce at the moment, coming entirely from tweets and fragments by the Wall Street Journal and Bloomberg. We'll update as the news becomes clearer and more complete.

Update: Apple may have been found to have been infringing FRAND patents. These types of patents are different in kind from the proprietary patent Samsung was found to be infringing. FRAND stands for fair, reasonable, and non-discriminatory, and are standards-essential -- in this case they involve technology required for a phone to use a cellular network. In order to become part of the standard, companies like Samsung agree to license them under FRAND terms. If a Korean court really let Samsung successfully attack Apple with FRAND patents, it's disturbing on a number of levels. Blogger and consultant Florian Mueller of FOSS patents has an informed, if decidedly anti-FRAND litigation view:

It would mean that foreign companies would either have to bow to Samsung's and LG's demands and, among other things, give up their own non-standard-essential intellectual property or stop selling in Korea. If I were Apple, I would defend myself vigorously and, if necessary, write off the Korean market until this issue is resolved through bilateral U.S.-Korea talks or at the level of the World Trade Organization.

Mueller calls it the declaration of a trade war, and also points out that, outside their native Korea, Samsung has consistently lost cases where they've tried to litigate FRAND patents.

All this to say, the Apple v Samsung case in Korea is bigger and more important than either Apple or Samsung.

With iOS 6, the Google-powered Maps app is gone and in its place is an all-new, all-Apple Maps app, with data supplied by TomTom and others. While Google-specific features like Street View are gone, new Apple-specific ones like Flyover will now be available. Based on 3D techniques Apple acquired when they purchased C3 Technologies, it looks almost cinematic.

Now some may argue that Flyover doesn't provide anywhere near as useful information as Street View -- identifying the front of a store you're looking for is more helpful than identifying its roof -- but it's early days for the new Maps app and its features.

Flyover won't be available in all cities at launch. The exact number of supported cities isn't settled yet, though Apple has shown off San Francisco, Cupertino, Sydney, and a few other places. They're likely still busy improving the quality and quantity ahead of launch.

Here's how Apple introduces Flyover:

See major metro areas from the air with photo-realistic, interactive 3D views. Explore cities in high resolution as you zoom, pan, tilt, and rotate around the city and its landmarks.

Based on what Apple's shown off, here's what we know about Flyover so far:

• Apple (and before the, C3 Technologies), has flown through major metropolitan areas with helicopters and planes

• Using that data, they built 3D models of the cities, including buildings, roadways, and other features

• And incorporated them into the new Maps app on iPhone and iPod touch, and iPad

• The 3D models are available in both Standard and Satellite view, and the Hybrid.

• Though the Satellite view is inarguably the most impressive, and what Apple reserves the Flyover name for.

• Tap an attraction, you can whisked away to it, with Hollywood quality, cinematic camera pans. All the buildings are rendered in realtime, so you can pinch, zoom, and swipe your way around 3D space, and change camera angle just as easily as you do anything else on multi-touch.

Again, Flyover won't make up for anyone who depended on Google Street View for a curb-side look at where they were going, but nor is it meant to. This is a birds-eye view, closer akin to something like Google Earth. Sure, it makes for a great tech-demo, but it also makes for a great way to virtually explore the cities and attractions around us, near and far.

iOS 6 is scheduled for release this fall, perhaps as soon as September 19. For more on iOS 6 and Siri, check out:

• Everything you need to know about iOS 6
• iOS 6 discussion forum

The classic endless jumping game Doodle Jump has had a big update that includes a bunch of new unlockables and a big change in its pricing structure. There's now a store built in, where players can buy new outfits with different abilities. For example, a sumo outfit stomps platforms to shake off enemies off the screen, a shadow outfit which hides you from monsters, and another which enables double jumping. Coins are now peppered throughout levels to help you acquire your new items, upgrades to the propellor hat and jetpack, and one-off power-ups.

If you've never played it, Doodle Jump has you perpetually ascend by leaping on an endless series of platforms. The controls are deceptively simple, since all you really have to do is tilt your iPhone or iPad to drift towards your next target, but the challenge of landing on firm ground without falling and avoiding enemies can make things rather challenging. 

Good on Doodle Jump for keeping things fresh after this long, and as a fan of ninjas, this theme gets my personal seal of approval. Are any of you guys still playing Doodle Jump, or have you burned out on that one years ago? Is it a terrible thing that basically every game, paid or otherwise, is drifting towards in-app purchases?

$0.99 - Download Now

Speaking of Epic Unreal 3 powered games, Gameloft has recently shared the first look Wild Blood, their God of War-style action adventure title coming soon to the iPhone and iPad. You're Lancelot, you've bedded Queen Guinevere, and you've driven King Arthur so mad with jealous rage he's partnered with his insane half-sister, Morgana, to reap bloody, demon-fueled vengeance on you -- and all of Albion with you. VentureBeat got an early preview:

As one of the knights of the fabled Round Table, Lancelot naturally comes with a bevy of weapons and special abilities. Though you'll start out with just one giant sword, your arsenal increases as you earn experience points; in the demo (shown on an iPad 3), a leveled up Lancelot dual-wields a pair of magical axes and shoots enemies from afar with his bow.

Combat leans toward a simple combo system that feels very responsive and smooth as Lancelot dodges and rolles his way through a large group (around a dozen or so) of demons. In a matter of seconds, these creatures became nothing more than a fine bloody mist.

Hopefully that means Excalibur makes an appearance, and cuts the realm in quarters. I really enjoyed God of War, and I've really enjoyed the relentless pace Gameloft has set for mobile gaming in general, and iOS in specific.

Anyone else eagerly anticipating pulling this sword form the App Store stone just as soon as inhumanly possible?

Source: VentureBeat