Earlier today, Apple announced that it will offer a $45 billion dividend and share repurchase program. In addition, during the call, one analyst asked if Apple would be issuing a press release about last weekend’s launch sales numbers for the iPad. Apple said they had a “record weekend” and were “thrilled with it.”

Later this afternoon, Apple announced that it has 3 million new iPads in less the four days of availability, calling it the “strongest iPad launch yet.” 3 million sold of something that nobody wanted and is just an “incremental upgrade”. Pretty amazing if you ask me.

CUPERTINO, California―March 19, 2012―Apple® today announced it has sold three million of its incredible new iPad®, since its launch on Friday, March 16. The new iPad features a stunning new Retina™ display, Apple’s new A5X chip with quad-core graphics, a 5 megapixel iSight® camera with advanced optics for capturing amazing photos and 1080p HD video, and still delivers the same all-day 10 hour battery life* while remaining amazingly thin and light. iPad Wi-Fi + 4G supports ultrafast 4G LTE networks in the US and Canada, and fast networks around the world including those based on HSPA+ and DC-HSDPA.**

“The new iPad is a blockbuster with three million sold―the strongest iPad launch yet,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Customers are loving the incredible new features of iPad, including the stunning Retina display, and we can’t wait to get it into the hands of even more customers around the world this Friday.”READ MORE DETAIL

After a very brief countdown, and with the next iPad just days away from its release, Apple recently passed 25 billion apps downloaded on the iPhone, iPad and iPod Touch, and as part of the celebration, it has released a list of the 25 most downloaded iOS apps for both the iPad and the iPhone of all time.

You can download all of these super popular apps in iTunes here (if you haven't already!), but if you're just looking to browse, we've got the list right here. Here, for example, are the top 25 free iPhone apps (with download links, for your convenience):

1. Facebook
2. Pandora Radio
3. Words With Friends Free
4. Skype
5. The Weather Channel
6. Google Search
7. Google Earth
8. Angry Birds Free
9. Shazam
10. Netflix
11. Paper Toss
12. Twitter
13. Movies by Flixster
14. Bump
15. PAC-MAN Lite
16. Flashlight.
17. Unblock Me FREE
18. Temple Run
READ MORE