Now that I have had a week or so to set up and test the iPad 2, I can say the improvements are significant and it is well worth getting one – even if you have a fully functioning original iPad.

Here are the main improvements/new features that stand out:

• holding the iPad to read a book or email is easier and less strain on your arm because it is a lot lighter – which means longer reading times (I did not even notice this as a problem before)
• the front and rear cameras enable video conferencing, taking snapshots and recording video… awesome! documents can be scanned, barcodes can be read and you can show video callers how you look in early morning video chats!
• the lower profile (otherwise known as height) means it fits in more bags, and is cooler… OK, the biggest benefit of this is the reduction in weight.
• snapping (it’s magnetic) the leather cover on is a breeze – and it looks great.
• faster run times means you don’t have to wait as long for apps to load, pages to download etc.

Despite what some people think – the iPad is way more than a large screen iPhone! Over time more apps are becoming available that take advantage of the cloud, syncing and integrating seamlessly with your desktop/laptop and mobile phone. A simple example of this is when you update a password on one device, it is automatically available on all your devices… (don’t worry, it is encrypted to make it secure).

If you haven’t ordered one yet… I highly recommend it!

Think about it. If the future is created in the present – and the future becomes the present at a certain point – which then immediately becomes the past…. if you spend all your time creating the future or living in the future, you will miss the magic of being present – here now. If you spend all your time reliving past glories, then you are missing the magic also.

The most powerful moment is right here, right now. Question is what you do with this present moment?

If you spend all your time enjoying the present, then you are not building or consciously creating your future.

So the best thing to do is to remember the past, live in the present, while creating and designing a better future… now that is an art!

Population size and growth are not the only factors to consider, however they give you a very good idea of where things are headed.

Consider the below chart that shows that 50% of today’s world population lives in just six countries! Wow, only six countries! Clearly the USA is the most developed of the six – and the others have a long way to go in terms of development – to catch up. This adds up to lots of growth… check it out for yourself:

Take a look at the below chart that makes the shift visible:

The thinking is that if you’re willing to take the company up on The Offer, you obviously don’t have the sense of commitment they are looking for.

Alan Mislove and his colleagues at Northeastern University filtered 300 million 140 character tweets posted on twitter from 2006 to 2009 and measured them against a psychological word-rating system to assign a mood score reflecting positive vs negative mood level.

Check out the below visualization by location during the day… results are facilitating… people on the west coast of the US are happier than those on the east coast:

• 52% of entrepreneurs use an iPhone
• 36% feel the recession hasn’t hurt their business much
• 28% feel 2010 is going to be the best year ever