Earlier this week, Google introduced a new design to its mobile gmail web app, bringing over features from its Gmail iOS app. Google had previously done this with its Maps application for iOS, which is now a very popular alternative to Apple’s own Maps. Now, it appears that Google is planning an even bigger service for iOS users called ‘Google Now’.

Google Now is currently an Android only feature and provides its users with a range of information including flight notifications, weather, traffic, reservations, packages, birthdays, transit information, stocks, movie times and more all in one spot.

On Wednesday, Engadget posted a video of what they claimed to be a Google Now promotional video for iOS, that was likely posted to YouTube by mistake. The video was quickly removed, but an Engadget reader downloaded and made a copy of the video beforehand.

The video has since been pulled from YouTube and appears to feature the same voice actress as the original Now announcement (which you’ll also find after the break for comparison). Supposedly, Now will be accessible in an upcoming iOS app update simply by swiping up from the main screen. Of course, there’s always the chance that is an impressive fake or even a canceled project that’s only being leaked now. We’ve reached out to Google for comment, but even if the search giant remains silent, we’re confident the truth will be known soon enough.

The promotional video shows a cartoon smartphone that looks very similar to an iPhone running iOS, and also shows off a number of the application’s features, including traffic directions, game scores, and flight information. At the beginning of the video, the voice actress clearly states, “introducing Google Now for iOS. The right information, at just the right time.”

{Via MacRumors}

According to MeFeedia, 26% of all web video in May was iPad accessible. While that may not seem like a significant amount, consider the growth implied by MeFeedia’s numbers. In January only 10% of web video was accessible by the newly announced iPad device. In 5 months 16% of viewable video on the Internet moved to present itself in a format accessible by the iPad. That’s an incredible figure.

Now many will point to these numbers and call Steve Jobs a bully. They’ll say that by limiting the premiere media consumption device his company makes, he’s driven a my-way-or-the-highway attitude towards HTML 5 and H.264 adoption. And to some extent those people would be right. On the other hand it would be as equally correct to say Steve Jobs has engineered a revolution only, well, Steve Jobs could have engineered. As standards, HTML 5 and H.264 have languished underutilized and fought over for years. The only serious users have been proponents of an open, standards-based web like Google and web app developers. Apple’s refusal to put Flash on the iPhone started a realization that Flash has quickly become an unnecessary item in the developer’s toolkit. Rich, immerse web apps were possible without the need to involve third party plug-ins. Indeed, the original intent for apps on the iPhone were for them to be entirely web-based and written in HTML 5. It was only through pressure from the development community that Apple relented and made native apps possible.

So where does all of this leave Flash, the iPad and HTML 5? Two of the three are very obviously on the way up and the other is on the way down. This isn’t going to degrade into another Flash-bashing session, there’s been enough of those online in the last three months to fill a lifetime. Remember, the iPhone and its lack of Flash support had a negligible impact on Flash’s usage numbers. What we have now is a unique nexus of points; the popularity of the iPad coupled with the beginning of widespread HTML 5 adoption coupled with the general unease and dissatisfaction Flash usage has finally created. It will be interesting to watch how subsequent numbers from MeFeedia chart the rise of standards-based video display and the fall of Flash-based solutions. The numbers are destined to move up for the former and down for the later.

Do you think the MeFeedia numbers point to a general trend or are simply an aberration? Did the availability of the iPad provide the final weight that tipped the balance against Flash? Is Steve Jobs just a big bully that wants the Internet to work the way he wants? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts.

9to5Mac is reporting Apple is looking for a QA Engineer in their “iPad Media” division. The job is described as:

The Media Systems team is looking for a software quality engineer with a strong technical background to test still, video and audio capture and playback frameworks. Build on your QA experience and knowledge of digital camera technology (still and video) to develop and maintain testing frameworks for both capture and playback pipelines…Experience with tuning of and image pipeline, including, but not limited to AWB, Color Correction, AutoExposure, FrameRate adjustments is a plus.

That seems like a pretty clear indication to me of Apple’s future intentions. A camera with the ability to shoot still pictures and video in the iPad. Perhaps even forward and rearward facing cameras if the iPhone HD rumors pan out.

Cameras of varying ability and size have been rumored for the non-iPhone members of the family for at least a year. If you remember back to just before the iPhone 3GS keynote last year, the blogosphere was abuzz with the news the third generation iPod Touch was going to receive a camera. The rumor didn’t pan out but not without further rumors suggesting they were excluded at the last minute due to quality concerns. Indeed, many were quite surprised the iPad didn’t come with at least an iPhone-like rearward facing camera. On the other hand, the inclusion of a video-capable camera on the newest iPod Nanos caught everyone by surprise.

Ultimately I believe the next generation iPhone and iPad will come with the rumored two camera set up. The indications in the iPhone 4.0 SDK are just too overwhelming. Of course this might all just be a big case of misdirection on Apple’s part but I don’t think that’s the case this time. I don’t think you’ll see a new, dual camera iPad this year; the iPhone HD will be used to get any kinks out of the video conferencing system the iPad will eventually inherit. This time next year though we’ll probably be waiting with the same anticipation for the second generation iPad and its dual camera system.

Of course the cynic in me says Apple could have put a camera or two in the iPad this year. They probably could have. The fact the software probably wasn’t in place yet though kept it out of the first iteration. And the fact they’ll get to sell a new iPad next year to all of the people that bought a first generation one this year is a nice side effect.

Do you think we’re on the cusp of an explosion of camera and video conferencing capable Apple devices? Will you have buyer’s regret if next year’s model has dual cameras? Do you agree with the cynic in me that this is all just a marketing and resale ploy by Apple? Leave us a comment and share your thoughts.

The Apple iPad has been the focus of all major technology blogs and with less than a week left for the device to launch in the US market the excitement continues to build.

Earlier today we reported that all those who pre-ordered their iPads started receiving shipping notices and for some the delivery date mentioned was April 1. In the past Apple has coordinated with  UPS to hold the deliveries until the launch day so it is highly unlikely for you to receive the device before April 3.

Apple recently posted iPad guided tours on their website in which they detail all the native apps on the iPad. Even though millions of iPhone users are already familiar with the iPad OS, the guided tours are worth watching. If you spot any hidden details in the video leave us a comment below!

Watch the guided tours here.