The Solemates superyacht lets you control stuff on board with an iPad. This $600,000 yacht, in fact, comes with built-in technologies that allow passengers, staff and the captain to control the entertainment and climate systems, adjust lights and close the blindings in their cabins – or just call a crewmember to get a cocktail. Yes, this whole thing is for rich people who happen to have an iPad and are willing to step aboard a superyacht with people who bring you cocktails.

Or, if you have the money but haven’t thought about getting an iPad, the captain will give you one as you enter the Solemates.

The interior, designed by Glade Johnson, blends elegant, rich woods and textures with contemporary sleek lines in a soothing palette of earth tones. The main and upper deck salons are awash with natural light and offer impressive spaces for formal dining or casual dining and entertaining. The sun deck features a dining area and a sun lounge wrapped around the Jacuzzi forward. A disco sound and lighting system turns it into an al fresco nightclub at nightfall.

I don’t want to think about the functionalities the iPad can gain at night on the Solemates. Maybe it’s got nightclub integration, who knows. [9to5mac via JamesList]

Digitimes has more iPad 2 speculation to share this morning. According to the publication, Apple is getting ready to launch three different version of the next generation iPad (dubbed iPad 2) in 2011 with a combination of WiFi, CDMA and UMTS chips. According to Digitimes, production will start in the second half of January 2011, with around 500,000 ready to be shipped to channels.

The sources pointed out that about 60-65% of current iPad shipments are 3G models, indicating that consumers prefer models that are able to connect to the Internet all the time, therefore Apple is aiming to work even more closely with telecom carriers by offering more wireless solutions for iPad 2 to satisfy market demand.

It is no surprise that the 3G model, even if it didn’t come out in April as the original WiFi-only iPad, is the favorite amongst users. It provides a way to stay always connected thanks to the built-in SIM thus eliminating the need of portable hotspots or jailbroken iPhones running software like MyWi for wireless tethering.

Digitimes is also reporting that Apple has been working in making the next gen iPad display similar to Amazon’s Kindle one:

In addition to wireless functions, Apple is also working on strengthening the iPad 2’s anti-smudge and anti-reflective treatments in order to compete against Kindle and attract more consumers, the sources noted.

iPad 2 shipments should reach 40 million units in 2011. Yesterday, Japanese blog Macotakara reported that the iPad 2 will come with an updated design similar to the curent generation iPod touch.