A UK reader writes in to say that Steve Jobs has replied to his email regarding Picasa Albums on the iPad.

Instead of just telling him that Apple (obviously) wouldn't support Google's Picassa library format, Jobs writes that iPhoto has a "much better Faces and Places features" than Picassa.  

OK, that might be more stating the obvious than a diss.  Header info below and yes Jobs is still rockin' the 3.1.2 iPhoneOS.

Verizon isn't the only one seeing Apple's products as an opportunity. Sprint is advertising their 4G hotspot as a way to make your iPhone faster.

Ummm, why not do what Verizon is doing and aim for the iPad? 

I got a good question today via Twitter that I have some expertise in: 

What would you consider the "best" monitor for Macs...for a [good] price?

I've been buying monitors for small to mid-size companies for awhile and have one each of a Sharp, Dell, Samsung, Apple and HP monitor in my house so I feel like I have a bit of experience in the area.

Disclaimer: If you are a pro/artist, you are going to want something else.  This recommendation isn't for you…maybe your parents.

Dell has the best value in monitors and has for the last few years.  They aren't built like Apple displays but they are very solid and look good. 

If every penny counts, you can find the Dell 1600x900 20" display out there every once in awhile for $89.  But really, for $40 more you can step up to 1080P resolution.

I say this cold: No one should have anything less than a 1080P 1920x1080 screen on their desktops.  You can buy a 22" 1080P display for $129 with free shipping on sale at Dell every once in awhile (currently $149).  If it isn't on sale, you can usually find it refurbished for that price or less.   Here's a Samsung equivalent (same hardware+$50) as a mediacenter display which works great for Blu-Ray movies at about 4-8 feet away.  This is basically the same display (size/pixels/aspect ratio) as the $1000+iMac 22" without LED lighting.  The viewing angles aren't what you'll get in a more expensive display and the color takes a little calibration (2 minutes, very easy) but you have a 1080P display on your desk for less than the price of a parking ticket in most cities. 

But that's not the best inexpensive monitor you can buy right now.  Dell makes the SP2309W, 23" "better than HD" 2048x1152 display with HDMI, VGA and DVI inputs, 4 port USB Hub, cable management, Webcam, mic and analog audio I/O.  It also looks great with a "not as glossy as Apple's" 23-inch display.  It doesn't have internal audio, but I'd rather use external speakers (for another day's review) for sound.  They have a $10 sound bar you could get but I wouldn't reccomend it. 

The SP2309W hits every sweet spot for me and you can currently get it for $229+Free shipping at Dell.  Compare that to Apple's $900 Cinema Display with fewer pixels and ports. (yes it is lovely and has power for MacBooks, etc.)

The viewing angles are great but it also has an adjustable arm in the back for both angle and height (Apple's are angle only).  I've had this monitor as my main display since Apple botched its Mini DisplayPort to dual DVI adapter part over a year ago.

I'm not quite sure I buy this whole story.  A TUAW reader with a new Core i7 iMac says that when they ran Software Update, they got the 10.6.3 Pre-release that was released today:

When finished, they had the new 10D572 build of Snow Leopard 10.6.3. 

Is this a Prius acceleration type of phenomenon?

Steve Jobs (who starts talking 13:00 in) made an appearance at the unveiling of a new California Bill SB 1395 that would require driver's license registrants to tick off whether or not they'd like to be a donor or not, rather than the current system which makes them fill out a separate form.    According to the Mercury News, Jobs convinced lawmakers to put forward the legislation in order to make more organs available to patients waiting for them.  Jobs sees this legislation as doubling the amount of organs being made available.

To find out more visit Donate Life America, 10 myths of organ donation, and OrganDonor.Gov.

We've managed to get some screenshots of the updated iTunes Connect interface for submitting iPad applications for those who might be interested. Have a look:   

Apple sent the following email to developers today signalling that they will now accept apps made for the iPad.

Guess we'll start to see what is out there pretty soon.