New Apple iPad 2 ad wants to help you 'learn'

Apple has a new television ad out that highlights some of the ways in which people can educate themselves with the iPad 2.

Dubbed "Learn," the ad, which premiered yesterday, features the same, simple theme as its predecessors. Throughout the commercial, people are holding the iPad and using touch gestures to manipulate applications and ostensibly learn more about topics that the voice-over is discussing.

The timing of the ad is by no means a coincidence. Children are currently heading back to school, or in some cases, already attending class, and Apple seems to acknowledge that at the end of its commercial by showing two kids using the iPad to learn math.

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Apple has a long history of tapping into the things folks are thinking about with its commercials. Back in July, for example, the company released a FaceTime ad for the iPhone 4. The commercial came out just a week after Facebook announced that it had signed a deal with Skype bringing video calling to the social network. Prior to that announcement, Google launched its social service, Google+, which prominently features video chatting.

Apple's commercials have been celebrated for their effectiveness at getting a point across. However, like its predecessors, Apple's latest ad doesn't offer up iPad 2 specs, pricing, or anything else that a would-be buyer might want to know. The ad simply ends with a white screen and "iPad 2" with the Apple logo displayed in the middle.

But even as Apple tries to sell more iPad 2 units, the company is reportedly thinking about launching an update to its tablet later this year. In July, a report from DigiTimes claimed the firm would launch the iPad 3 in October. Last month, a story in Taiwan Economic News said the company would actually launch its iPad 3 as early as November.