1) does the 'gear retracted' chime on an Airbus also signal to the cabin crew that they are released, or does this come later? On the airlines using Airbus that I have flown, you normally hear the chime followed by the seat-belt signs switched off later. Is there an intermediate signal for the cabin crew?
It doesn't signal to crew that they are released, just that the gear is up, I can't think of an airline that would release their crew at gear up - it's only a couple hundred feet off the ground.
2) does the sterile flight deck rule not apply right up to FL10? Surely it does not end when the gear is retracted soon after leaving the runway??
Sterile flight deck comes in 2 parts - a no contact phase which at most airlines ceases at gear up and then a urgent/non-standard contact phase that ends at a later specified time - this time maybe when seatbelt signs are switched off, when crew are chimed, when a certain PA is made by flight crew etc - most airlines appear to be slightly different here.