( WIRED ) -- Apple will announce the iPad 2 next Wednesday , as made rather obvious by invites sent out to press this morning . Apart from the new iPad , that means one thing : speculation . I 'm not immune , so here 's my list of things I think will make it into an already capable machine . I have stuck to features , rather than things like CPU speed , as the internal specifics matter less than what they actually enable you to do . Cameras . Obvious , this one . We 're almost certain there will be a front-facing camera for FaceTime and other webchat applications , but I really do n't care . I 'll use that for Skype once in a while and that 's it . What I want is a decent rear-facing camera , like that in the iPhone ( not the crippled piece of junk in the iPod Touch ) . Why ? Because it would be so useful , and not just for photography . Augmented reality , Instagram , scanning things , snapping photos and then drawing on top of them , the list goes on . One of the things I took away from all the tablets I tried at Mobile World Congress in Barcelona last week was just how good a camera is on a big device . It seems like it would be awkward , but the big screen is great for composing and the size turns out not to matter at all . Speakers . The single iPad speaker is n't bad , but for movies and music you really want something beefier , and preferably in stereo . The rumors point to at least one big speaker grille on the back of the iPad 's case . Currently I get around this with an assortment of Bluetooth speakers around my apartment , but I 'd rather do without them . SD card slot . This one would be purely for importing photos and video . Basically , it would be nothing more than a built-in camera connection kit . The Apple 's Camera Connection Kit is great , but it is one more thing to lose and carry . I use my iPad more and more for processing photos ( courtesy of Photogene and FX PhotoStudioHD ) , and until I can send direct from my camera via Eye-Fi , a slot is a lot more convenient than yet another dongle in my bag . A better connector . The 30-pin dock connector is one of the worst things Apple has made ( the other is `` all mice it has ever created '' ) . It is symmetrical , so it 's hard to put in the right way in bad light . It 's delicate ( the cord breaks easily where it enters the plug ) and worst of all , it 's huge . In fact , the iPod Nano is barely big enough for the connector slot . The likeliest candidate for a replacement is Light Peak , or Apple 's rumored implementation of it , Thunderbolt , which might show up in this week 's new MacBook Pros . This could be a small port that could carry power and data of any kind . That in itself would be good enough , but you know what I 'd really like ? A Thunderbolt data-cable with a MagSafe plug . That would be just about perfect . Better case . The size and weight of the current iPad are just fine . Anyone who complains that a 1.5 pound sliver of aluminum and glass is too heavy needs to shut up and go join a gym . But it is slippery . I keep mine in Apple 's own case 24/7 . This is partly to protect the screen , but mostly to stop me dropping it , especially when I 'm walking on crutches with it tucked under my arm . A little more friction on the back would help a lot . Perhaps a plastic rear , or just a grippy coating . Bonus : The screen . This is a small request . I do n't want a retina display ( or rather I do , but I do n't want the current penalties of price and battery life associated with it ) . All I want is a dimmer screen . The brightness at the top end is fine , but even at its dimmest setting , the screen is too bright for using indoors at night . It 's true , I keep my apartment fairly dim ( I call it `` moody and romantic , '' but you may call it `` cheap '' ) , but unless you keep your place lit up like an office , the screen glows a little too much . Those are my requests . What about yours ? Do you want a built in printer ? A near-field communications chip to turn your iPad into the world 's biggest wallet ? Or even a flashlight ? Let us know your suggestions , as ever , in the comments . Subscribe to WIRED magazine for less than $ 1 an issue and get a FREE GIFT ! Click here ! Copyright 2010 Wired.com .
We 're almost certain there will be a front-facing camera for FaceTime . The 30-pin dock connector is one of the worst things Apple has made . More friction on the back would help a lot -- perhaps a plastic rear or a grippy coating .