Researchers at Gazelle and NextWorth are suggesting that now would be a pretty good time to sell your iPad 2 if you’re planning on upgrading to the iPad 3. They’ve compiled a chart for the average eBay price of the original iPad leading up to the announcement and release of the iPad 2. As one would probably expect, the longer people waited to sell their iPad during the months leading up to the iPad 2 release, the cheaper it became.

Many are speculating for a March announcement and, as a result, many are trying to unload their iPad 2 in lieu of this. So, unless you’re planning handing down your iPad 2 to someone, get it out there now.

As most of you are probably aware, people around here like Hero Academy. In a bit of good news for the fans, and bad news for our time, Robot Entertainment announced that the Dwarven race will be added in an update on February 22nd, and available for $1.99 as an in-app purchase.

 Here’s some information they’ve listed:

PALADIN

(Class: Fighter) – Holy warrior who can heal and revive allies, healing herself in the process.

GUNNER

(Class: Shooter) – Shooter who deals high damage to a nearby enemy. AOE damage at range.

GRENADIER

(Class: Caster) – Lobs molotovs over enemies for AOE damage. Weak melee attack.

ENGINEER

(Class: Support) – Shields a single ally/crystal. Higher bonus from premium squares.

ANNIHILATOR

(Class: Super Unit) – Deals heavy damage with AOE knockback. Direct hits weaken physical defenses.

Attention AppSlappy listenership, you’re welcome –

So, Whitney Houston dies in Los Angeles of an apparent drug overdose on Saturday. Then, about 30 minutes after the news hit main stream media, the price of her Ultimate Collection album in the UK went from  £3 ($4.70) to £7.99 ($12.60).

At least according to Digital Spy, Apple itself is the culprit. The claim being the Apple is attempting to cash in the singer’s death with the only real evidence being the end price. However, it should noted that prices are not set only by Apple, but by the music label. It is equally possible, and seemingly ignored my news outlets, that the music label (Sony Music) asked that the album prices be raised. And so far neither party has commented on the matter.

At the very least, someone wanted her album prices be raised shortly after her death in what is a very obvious attempt to make more money. Exactly who those entities might be is unclear. And (so far) no official comment has been made from Apple or Sony.

It seem fairly likely that Apple is building a proper TV, it’s a question of what it can do and how much it costs. Rumors have been flying about what an AppleTV would be for well over a year and now Best Buy has added a bit of fuel to the fire with a customer survey that gives people a hypothetical scenario of a 42-inch HDTV for $1,499.

It should be noted that a ‘normal’ 42-inch TV goes for about $499. Most people are saying that this survey has very little to do with what Apple is actually doing, due to use of the term  ”iSight.” For the most, Apple has been referring to this technology as “Facetime cameras.” Calling this overpriced is fairly safe statement, though I’d imagine that if they ran this through the Apple machine it would end in people wanting one…

Superbowl commercials are generally some of the best entertainment people get in between programming all year, and this year appears to be no exception. Among them is a new Samsung commercial that makes some fun at the Apple user’s expense. It’s a bit of a tease, but it’s for the new Samsung Galaxy Note LTE. The full 90 second commercial is scheduled to air in the fourth quarter. And, in case you were curious, it was directed by Bobby Farrelly, best known for some movies like Dumb and Dumber, Fever Pitch, and There’s Something About Mary.

Apple has recently hired Robin Burrowes, a former Xbox executive, to run marketing for it’s App Store in Europe. According to his LinkedIn profile, Burrowes had started at Microsoft in 2005 as a manager, then promoted in 2008. He is only the latest in a long line of former gaming professionals recruited by Apple. In just this past year, people from Nintendo, EA, Activision and Microsoft have gone the way of iOS.

At the very least Apple would seem to know where their bread is buttered, especially considering that Apple made roughly 4 billion in revenue to date through the app store. I, for one, find it heartening that such a successful company would look into the throws of gaming to make their products stronger. On the other hand, I wish Apple would leave some of the talent alone. You watch, after Kingdoms of Amalur becomes a massive hit Curt Schilling will become Apple’s new VP of Awesome.