The new Apple iPad doesn’t fall far from the Apple tree, and the taste just keeps getting better. Apple is growing in both the stock market and the mobile market. One month ago, March 16, released the 3rd generation iPad (“iPad 3″) in the US, Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Singapore, Switzerland and the UK. Within the first three days, three million were sold. Early this month, April 5, Apple’s stock closed at $633.68 per-share, exceeding Google stock which closed at $632.32 (before Google’s subsequent 2-for-1 stock split last week). With the pace of Apple next generation products, one is left wondering… Is Apple now competing with Apple, and are there other mobile products besides Apple?

Now Apple makes the iPad 3 available in an additional 21 countries. To name a few – On April 20 in South Korea, Malaysia, and Latin America; and on April 27 in India, Israel, South Africa and Thailand. As the 3rd generation iPads go global, should you be among those buying the new iPad?

The iPad 3 will dazzle you. Its showcase feature is the Retina Display, a 9.7″ screen with a 2048 x 1536 pixel, higher-resolution. An “A-Ha!” moment. A frontside FaceTime camera for video chat. A backside iSight camera for 5 megapixel photos and 1080 resolution videos. Ready for WIFI or 4G LTE wireless network communications. Um, “Take dictation, please,” with the dictation feature. Bundled richly with Apple Apps. Steve Jobs had in mind the iPad 3 when he envisioned our lives changing for the better.

For balance, here’s the down side. Your old (low-res) photos may look grainy or pixelated on the intended to be crisp Retina Display. The battery may tend to overheat. If you watch streaming movies in their brilliant hi-res glory, be sure to manage your 4G data communications plan so that you don’t get charged for using over your quota. Add in the comms cost; it’s not cheap.

It’s all good. But are you ready to buy? What’s your new iPad Buyers Interest Quotient (IQ)? What’s in it for you? To find out your new iPad Buyers IQ, take this quick six-question test. The purpose of the test is to help you see where your best interests lie. For all of the questions, except one that is marked, you may select all that apply. No wrong answers.

Question #1: What do you do in a typical day? (Check all that apply)
____ (1) Use PC desktop apps, such as Microsoft Office, Photoshop.
____ (2) Use Mac apps like iLife, iWork, iCloud, or other Mac apps.
____ (3) Search and surf. Read news and eBooks online.
____ (4) Watch online streaming videos (from Amazon, Hulu, YouTube, Netflix).
____ (5) Use the cloud to organize my life and go paperless for meetings, work, family and school.

Question #2: Presently, how do you connect with friends and family? (Check all that apply)

____ (1) Liking mobile apps like 4Square, Words with Friends, and/or Instagram.
____ (2) Into Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Tumblr, blogging daily.
____ (3) Video chatting weekly.
____ (4) Use my cell phone for talking and texting daily.
____ (5) I typically email friends and family from a laptop or desktop computer daily.
____ (subtract 5) I’m all already about mobile apps, games, and video chat using Google Hangout, or Apple FaceTime.

Question #3: What’s your current setup? (Check all that apply)

____ (1) iPhone4S
____ (2) I have an iPad already but wanna give it away and buy a new one.
____ (3) Use Apple OSX Mountain Lion on a Mac
____ (4) Mac OSX Snow Leopard or earlier
____ (5) Android, Windows pc, and/or cellphone
____ (subtract 10) Got all of the above.

Question #4: What do you want to do in the near future? (Check all that apply)
____ (1) Twitter, Facebook, WordPress, Tumblr, blogging, and/or chat
____ (2) Video chat, such as Skype or Google Talk.
____ (3) Mobile social apps, suck as 4Square, Words with Friends, or Instagram.
____ (4) Music and mobile apps for tools, education, books, and games – from either Google Play or Apple Appstore.
____ (5) Apple iWork, iLife, iCloud and hi-res video chat using Google Hangout or Apple FaceTime.

Question #5: What is absolutely necessary in your mobile setup? (Pick TWO max)
____ (1) Typing on tactile keys.
____ (2) Fits in my pocket.
____ (3) Fits in my bag.
____ (4) Hi-res front and rear camera.
____ (5) Audio sound and screen resolution that makes the heart go THUMP.

Question #6: What communications do you currently have and/or plan to? Remember don’t drive while messaging! (Check all that apply)

____ (1) No 4G service in my area.
____ (2) Have internet at home, 3G for wireless, and a data plan for my smartphone.
____ (3) Access WIFI anywhere anytime.
____ (4) I live in a city with 4G LTE service, and can spring for a 5GB/month data plan costing $50/month.
____ (5) I need unlimited! I’ll get a 4G LTE data plan of 10GB/month costing $80/month.

Calculate your iPad Buyers IQ. Add up the numbers adjacent to the answers you check-marked. What’s your iPad 3 destiny? Should you buy or wait? Look up your result below:

• 55 Points or over: You are in a great position to get a iPad 3. What’s not to love? If you scored above 60, run don’t walk to buy the iPad 3, fully loaded with storage and 4G LTE. It costs $829 (US) for the iPad3, plus $50 (US) or $80/month for the communications. If you scored closer to 55, then get the iPad 3 4G LTE with a 5GB data plan at $50/month. You go!
• 40-55 Points: The iPad 3 is very cool, its charm is hard to resist. I’m just saying, consider other options: Wait for the next generation, or go with an Android tablet, Amazon Kindle Fire, and Google Chromebooks, which are great values. If you have reliable access to Wi-Fi then the iPad 3 for Wi-Fi only is your best value.
• 25-40 Points: You can find lower cost mobile alternatives to the iPad 3. You don’t have to be like everyone on the planet with an iPad afterall. Maybe you need a smartphone? Or maybe just enjoy what you have for now.
• 10-25 Points: Do you have some combo of iPad 2s or iPhone 4S or Droids or Macs? The Macs last “forever”, and Android laptop too. But the smartphones are only good for two years max… So enter the market later, when the next generation comes. Or maybe it’s a good time for you to upgrade your home computer?
• under 10 Points: Don’t buy a thing! You’re fine as you are.

If you are still unsure, then pick the screen (size and resolution) and typing method (tactile keys or touch pad) that works best for how you intend to use it.

The iPad 3 Wi-Fi models will be available in black or white for a suggested retail price of $499 (US) for the 16GB model, $599 (US) for the 32GB model and $699 (US) for the 64GB model. The iPad Wi-Fi + 4G models will be available for a suggested retail price of $629 (US) for the 16GB model, $729 (US) for the 32GB model and $829 (US) for the 64GB model.

One regrettable footnote. A 17-year-old male high school student named Wang, from central China, sold his kidney for $3,500 for an organ transplant, in order for Wang to buy an iPhone and iPad (versions not identified). Reportedly he is now suffering from renal insufficiency. Oh why!? His IQ would be a fail.

If you are waiting, what are you waiting for? The new Apple iPhone 5 is expected in near October 2012. The rumored 7.85″ screen Apple Mini tablet is pegged for summer. Keep an eye out for a new Kindle Fire model in 2012, and the rapid roll-out of more Android tablets (Samsung Galaxy Tab 2), including Google tablets.

Is your iPad Buyers IQ where you want it to be? I hope this helps sort out the choices. Consumers will be on the receiving end of some great choices, while Apple, Androids and Amazon (the “Triple-A”) are competing like mad dogs. If you can bear to sit out the iPad 3 hype, get into position for Christmas 2012, or early 2013, to make your Triple-A move. However, if not the iPad, some Apple will likely be the right IQ for you.

Spring is in full force — with 80 degree days tempered by torrential rain tempered further by dry spells and brush fires here in New England. Gotta love the weather.

Spring cleaning is a chance to throw out the old and bring in the new. It is a chance to declutter and demessify your domicile. As a lover of gadgets and cleanliness (not extremely good at the latter) I decided to put out this little guide to gadgets that will not only help you be cleaner, they might axe some of the clutter on your desk and allow you to throw out a few monthly bills in the process. It’s spring, start anew!

IQAir HealthPro Plus

All the hundreds and thousands of dollars that people spend on devices and chemicals designed to eliminate allergens and make their homes smell better — it’s a waste. You need one product to improve the air quality in your home, and it’s the same device that hospitals use to purify air in some operating rooms. It’s the same company that’s been in business for 45 years. It’s not available in the Sharper Image catalog.

The Swiss-made IQAir HealthPro Plus is simply the best air purifier on the market today or ever.

Around 100x more powerful than a traditional HEPA filter, the HealthPro Plus eliminates particles down to 0.003 microns. It strips viruses, pet dander, dust mites, air pollution and harmful cigarette smoke. It allows you to live with a dog or cat despite your allergies.

It’s good for asthma, too.

Depending on where you live, an air purifier is a must-own device. Save yourself money, trouble, and failure. At under $1,000, this is an investment in your health. I’ve used the IQAir HealthPro Plus for months, and it’s the best air purifier you can own.

Altec Lansing inMotion Air — $179

This six-pound, battery or AC powered modern boom box lets you stream any audio wirelessly, up to 300 feet away via Bluetooth or any Apple device via the Apple Remote App.

You can take your iPhone, iPad, or other smartphone and Bluetooth devices and play your music in crystal clear, CD quality excitement with the Altec Lansing inMotion Air.

I’m a big fan of all things Altec Lansing. I’ve been reviewing their products since 1996, and I haven’t found anything to dislike. This is a great way to do spring cleaning, because it can replace a bulky bookshelf unit and all the wires that it brings. You also save energy by blasting you music without having to power up your home theater or PC equipment.

netTALK Duo WiFi

For $60, you get a year of phone service.

The tiny size and free Enhanced 911, 411, visual voicemail, call waiting, conference calling, and fax service make the netTALK Duo WiFi a great way to remove a monthly bill from your stack and ditch your phone company. You clean up by removing outdated equipment from your house and you REALLY clean up with the money you’ll save.

Honeywell with Febreze Freshness Cool & Refresh Fan

Fabreze is all the rage right now, and it’s no surprise that a fan maker finally caught on and incorporated “Fabreze Freshness” into a room fan. Honeywell’s Cool & Refresh Fan does both of what it says — it cools you off and makes a room smell better. It’s not a replacement for the IQAir HealthPro Plus, but if you have a room that the pets tend to stay in or a bedroom that needs a freshness boost, Honeywell has made a very affordable winner for only an astounding $30.

While we’re talking about fans, Honeywell would like to point out that 65 percent of Americans say that they get a better night’s sleep with a fan, while 73 percent use one at night for white noise. I had a fan in my bedroom — it was old, dirty, and didn’t look right in the room. Honeywell cleaned the room up and styled it up at the same time.

iHome iDM11B Wireless Speaker

There are wireless “sound bricks” you can get for your iPad or smartphone in the $99 and $150 range. This one does it for about $70 and sounds amazing. We know the iHome brand. We’ve been reviewing these guys since 2007. We like the quality and love the price.

The iDM11B is a Bluetooth speaker system with a rechargeable battery. No wires. No mess. Sounds great. Clean looking.

The speaker works with tablets, media players, smartphones, laptops, and anything else that works with Bluetooth. Great bass and crisp highs make this one a good value and a good way to clean up your desk.

Swingline Stack-and-Shred 60X

Talk about the ultimate cleaning device for any home, or office, or home office. You need a heavy duty shredder, and the Stack-and-Shred is the one. You can feed a few sheets up top, or you can open it up and toss in up to 60 pieces of paper for mega-massive destruction. It also takes out credit cards.

Everyone needs a reliable shredder in this day and age. The Swingline not only shreds documents but destroys them with cross-cutting blades. Try putting that back together again.

CBTL Americano single cup coffee maker

OK, I’ll say it, if you already have a Keurig coffeemaker, you can skip this section. But if you still have an old, 2006ish Tassimo single-cup coffeemaker, The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf’s CBTL single serve beverage system is a great upgrade and a very interesting alternative to the Keurig.

I first encountered this system in an upscale hotel, and was pleasantly surprised. It makes a fantastic espresso and makes everything from tea to various shades and flavors of traditional coffee. It costs a little more than an entry-level Keurig, and New Englanders won’t be too moved by The Coffee Bean & Tea Leaf brand, which is much bigger on the West Coast. But if you still have a Tassimo, toss it and upgrade.

Let’s just ignore all the obvious “Terminator 2″ references, K?

The next iteration of Apple’s hugely popular iPhone will be available in October with some amazing new aspects, according to reports.

According to Bloomberg, the iPhone 5 will feature a new body design and work on 4G/LTE networks, citing according to Gene Munster, an analyst at Piper Jaffray.

Munster had originally predicted an August release date for the iPhone 5. The push comes after chipmaker Qualcomm Inc. announced supply problems — it is not meeting demand for the types of chips that would enable the iPhone to run on faster networks.

The phone’s new body design will feature a technology called LiquidMetal. Two years ago, Apple paid Liquidmetal Technologies, of Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif., $30 million for the rights to use the tech.

Liquidmetal features an amorphous atomic structure, delivering “no discernable patterns exist in the atomic structure of the unique Liquidmetal alloys,” according to the company’s website. The company claims the process results in stronger, harder metal with superior strength-to-weigh ratio, high elastic limits, corrosion and wear resistance, better acoustical properties, and low metal shrinkage rate. It’s a futuristic supermaterial.

Mashable rumored that Apple would use Liquidmetal in a new iPhone early last year.

Apple finally delved into 4G speeds with its New iPad, but the iPhone is, by far, Apple’s best selling product, accounting for 53 percent of its sales in Q4 2011.

Capcom just announced that their classic fighting game Marvel Vs. Capcom 2 will be making its way onto iOS devices on April 25.

The game sounds like it will be a direct port of its console and arcade counterparts sporting a 56-character roster including Wolverine, Ryu, Iron Man and Mega Man, and its Variable System that lets players tag in other team members at any time. Team Hyper Combos will also make their return letting all three characters unleash their ultimate attacks at the same time.

It’s great to see Capcom expanding its console games onto iPhone and iPod Touch devices, but because the game was meant to be played with a controller (the original came out in arcades back in 2000,) the game’s controls probably won’t be that great.

While past Capcom games on iOS devices have included a touch-screen joystick, it definitely doesn’t beat having an actual controller. Let’s hope Apple hurries up and releases its own iController sometime soon.

Mac users have had it easy. We enjoy fun stuff without worrying about the endless toil and trouble of virus scanning, security patching, and the added expense, which we see our Windows cousins engage in.

But, do you recall updating your Mac for Adobe Flash? It’s a vague nauseous feeling of been there done that. Be aware, this likely was malware.

It’s called Flashback. It simulates an update for your Adobe Flash. We all do this. Most of us are probably generally aware that Apple and Flash are like apples and oranges, or rather oil and water. It seems as if Adobe updates are as frequent as iTunes updates. After a while we get lazy and drop our guard. Therefore, when we see another [annoying] update for Flash come across the screen, it’s no surprise…

You clicked install?! If it was Flashback, then it is a Trojan horse. Malware. We know now that this fake Flash module, which was first written about back in September 2011, lurks on your Mac, takes screenshots of your password screens, and ships them off to evil locations unknown…

Don’t let that happen to you… and don’t panic. Follow the method defined by the security experts to test for the virus, and if you find it remove it.

How to test if you are affected?

1. Find “terminal.app” in your Mac’s Applications/Utilities folder.
2. Click on Terminal to open.
3. You next type in or copy and paste the diagnostic commands.
4. Type these three lines:
   • defaults read ~/.MacOSX/environment DYLD_INSERT_LIBRARIES
   • defaults read /Applications/Safari.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
   • defaults read /Applications/Firefox.app/Contents/Info LSEnvironment
5. If each time you got the response “does not exist”, then congratulations, you dodged this bullet.

For those unlucky people with the Flashback Déjà vu:

I’m guessing you didn’t win Mega Millions. No worries, no one reading or writing this did either. Doctor Web and Kaspersky Lab, antivirus companies, estimated that by the end of last week, over 600,000 Mac computers were infected with some strain of the Flashback Trojan horse.

If you’ve got Flashback, please follow the advice of experts to get rid of it. Flashback exploited a vulnerability with a version of Java. You will need to update your Java, but you don’t want to toast your Mac further with more trial and error.

You have choices for help. Kaspersky Lab launched a website to help you diagnose and fix the issue.

Credit Juan Leon for creating an automated app to fix the problem. Or if you want the devil’s details, see Arstechnica.com’s diagnostic help plus “How to get rid of Flashback“, which they copied from F-Secure which first distributed a free fix and instructions.

Two more steps:

Even if you don’t have Flashback, prevent it from happening. If you haven’t yet today, go next to System Preferences or your Apple menu, and run a “Software Update…” You want your OSX and Safari up to date.

While you are housekeeping, why not delete your Flash cache, because your Flash cache is never cleared when you clean your browser cache and cookies(back to the Apple and oranges thing)? Repeat this occasionally because over time it’s a drag on performance for some Macs.

Go to System Preferences / Other, open Flash Player, and “Delete All” Browser Data and Settings.

Are you a Mac?

Hope this helps. Stay healthy! Whoever said Macs are zero-maintenance? Still pretty good by comparison. (Hey for zero-maintenance, how ’bout those Chromebooks, for those in the cloud? But I digress.)

For more information about the Flashback Trojan malware, read the blog from The Next Web Conference.

Rumor has it that Apple has been testing a smaller, 7.85 inch model of the iPad. This size change would be contrary to the late Steve Jobs’ opposition.

Apple blogger, John Gruber, said that the company is “kind of noodling” with the smaller iPad, and that the reduced size might appeal to markets overseas, especially Asian countries. The smaller tablets would be more convenient for commuters, though they would not necessarily have the same retina-quality display that the recently new iPad and iPhone have.

For years now, game developers have worked around the lack of external buttons on iOS devices by incorporating touchscreen d-pads and joysticks on their game’s interface.The results are a bit messy and a bit crowded, especially when you’re trying to do a 14-hit combo on Super Street Fighter IV on your tiny iPhone.

The Verge happened to spot a small bit of information in AnandTech’s extensive review of Apple’s newest iPad that could mean the company understands its device’s gaming limitations and is creating a first-party gaming accessory:

“I know of an internal Apple project to bring a physical controller to market, but whether or not it will ever see the light of day remains to be seen.”

There is no word yet whether this is actually happening or by when we will see and iGamepad. But if you think about it, Apple should hurry up.

Apple should be capitalizing on the influx of titles like Super Street Fighter IV that are more complex and robust than the Angry Birds line of casual games before third-party developers take over. Not only that, but if Apple wants their iOS devices to be taken seriously as gaming handhelds, they should really make them easier to game on.

Google may soon find itself in the ugly side of a legal investigation. An international group of government agencies is inquiring reports by Apple that the search engine giant used cookies as a method of tracking people’s activities on their computers. Apple’s web browser, Safari, has a privacy agreement which bans that type of tracking software.

The software was used as a method of targeting advertising to individual user. It not only affected computers, but iPads and iPhones were targeted as well.

“We will of course cooperate with any officials who have questions,” a Google spokeswoman said. “But it’s important to remember that we didn’t anticipate this would happen, and we have been removing these advertising cookies from Safari browsers.”

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is looking into Google’s practices and whether they are in violation of last year’s legal settlement where Google stated that they would not “misrepresent” its privacy practice with consumers, reports the Wall Street Journal.

According to the FTC, the fine for violating the agreement it $16,000 per violation, per day. Considering the millions of users using Apple’s browser, the bill can really add up.

Across the Atlantic Ocean, Europe’s investigation is being led by the French Commission Nationale de l’Informatique et des Libertés, or CNIL, which fined Google last year for collecting passwords when Google vehicles were gathering information for the Street View feature in Google maps.

The majority of Google’s revenue comes from ad sales, a practice that the company has made a premium for several advertisers by targeting ads to specific users.

Google’s recent jump into social networking came with Google Plus, a service that the company has pushed into all corners of the organization, said former Google executive James Whittaker. The company publicly stated that it had bypassed some of Apple’s privacy setting when implementing Google Plus’ “1+” button into the Safari browser.

Original source:
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052702304692804577283821586827892.html

With the new iPad set to release this Friday, Apple’s stocks reached a record high of $600 per share. This 1.8 percent increase occurred for a brief time this moment before they settled back to $585. Nonetheless, this jump comes just one month after Apple’s shares broke the $500 mark.

Several analysts, including Gene Munster from Piper Jaffray who predicts’ the shares to rise above $700, have foreseen the stock domination by the company, especially after Apple reported its largest quarter ever in sales, earning $46.33 billion and profiting $13.06 billion.

As a company, Apple is now worth more than 84 percent of the world’s countries, including Argentina, Greece, Denmark and Austria.

A lawsuit has landed on Apple’s desks. A Brooklyn man is suing the Cupertino, California company over Siri, claiming it can’t understand directions, locate nearby stores and often produces incorrect answers.

Frank M. Fazio, claims that Apple is partaking in false advertising, with their ad campaign showing people using Siri to help them learn music, find a place to eat and schedule appointments.

“The iPhone 4S’s Siri feature does not perform as advertised,” the complaint filed in the U.S. District Court of Northern California reads. “…Siri is, at best, a work in progress.”

Apple holds the same view on Siri, calling it a beta product, yet fails to mention this in many advertisements.

While the personal assistant implemented on the iPhone 4S was received positively by consumers initially, Fazio is not the only one complaining. The biggest gripes with the service come from its need to always be connected to the internet, even for basic things such as voice dialing and texting. Last November, Siri had a day long outage as Apple suffered with its servers.

Apple co-founder Steve Wozmiak claims that Siri is actually performing worse than it did when it first launched, probably due to high demand as the service expands overseas. This expansion has come with a slew of new complaints relating to the phone not being able to understand non-English commands.

Nonetheless, sales for the iPhone continues to rise and implementation of Siri has already been announced for the new iPad.

It seems that the new iPad cannot catch a break. With news flowing around that preorders have been sold out, Signals Research reports that the new tablet may clog up 4G networks.

With the 4G networks of today being used very lightly, CEO of Signals Research, Michael Thelander says “The iPad is definitely going to be a challenge, and it will put a strain on the networks.” The new Retina display’s ability to output 1080p video will likely run up most people’s data limits and place a heavy load on the young network. At their present state, the 4G LTE networks are simply not ready for the massive bandwidth usage expected from the likely record breaking sales of the new iPad. The rise of 4G smartphones has been a gradual one, allowing for carriers such as AT&T and Verizon to prepare their networks. However, the high adoption rate for iPads will likely slow down the network, says Thelander.

AT&T’s network was torn apart by the introduction of the 3G iPhone a couple of years back. The network has since learned from that experience, yet the new 4G network is still not used to the traffic likely to be generated by the tablet.

Amit Malhotra, a vice president of Metrico Wireless, which helps test mobile device and network performance for carriers and manufacturers, says that “Most people are going to be limited by their data plans. One of the selling points of the iPad is the display; people are going to watch HD content, and that means larger files.” To add to the problem, Apple is now allowing 50 megabyte mobile apps to be installed on the App Store.

AT&T offers 3 GB of data for $30 dollars while Verizon offers 2GB for the same price. At those rates, one HD movie download will likely run up the monthly data usage for an average consumer. Verizon also offers 10GB for $80, but few people have adopted the plan. The new iPad will not be available on any other networks.

“What will likely happen is they will get very efficient at switching to Wi-Fi whenever there’s an opportunity,” says Malhotra.

iPad's pre-order stock has sold out.

If you were planning on getting an iPad on the March 16 launch date, you may have to wait a little bit longer. According on appleinsider.com, Apple has officially announced that the stock set aside for pre-orders has run out.

“Customer response to the new iPad has been off the charts and the quantity available for pre-order has been purchased,” a company spokesperson said. “Customers can continue to order online and receive an estimated delivery date.”

With the iPad 2 launch last year, Apple faced similar problems in their battle for retail dominance. The launch of the new iPad later this week is likely to break just as many sales records as its predecessor.

Original source:

http://www.appleinsider.com/articles/12/03/11/apple_says_new_ipad_response_is_off_the_charts_preorders_sold_out.html

Ultrabooks such as the Asus x21 are said to boost PC sales this year as competition grows in the tablet market.

According to Gartner Inc., PC shipments are expected to grow 4.4 percent over last year. That would total the number of units sold worldwide to 368 million.

The rise of ultrabooks in 2012 is said to be the main drive in sales as the year proceeds.

Consumers are more likely to pick up the super-light, super thin notebooks with the new promises of higher performance.

“PC shipments will remain weak in 2012,” said Ranjit Atwal, a research director at Gartner, in a prepared statement. “The real question is whether Windows 8 and ultrabooks will create the compelling offering that gets the earlier adopter of devices excited about PC again.”

Windows 8 is set to launch later this year. The new OS by Microsoft will feature a style reminiscent of tablets rather than traditional PC’s, prompting the company to unify its mobile phone services with its PC users.

However, these same tablets are said to be bringing the majority of the competition to the PC market. Atwal said that the PC market will need to play “catch up in bringing a new level of innovation that consumers want to see in the devices they purchase.”

Forbes reports that Apple Inc. remains the fastest growing PC vendor in the US while Lenovo is the fastest growing vendor in the world. Nonetheless, the top stop in both US and worldwide is held by Hewlett-Packard Co.

Sales of PC’s are said to reach more than 400 million by the end of 2013.

NPD Display Search reports that the new Retina display for Apple’s “iPad 3” may suffer from shortages in the coming months. Manufactured by Sharp, Samsung and LG, the display is built to produce the ridiculous 2048×1536 resolution of the new tablet. However, Sharp’s decision to use IGZO TFT’s, rather than the standard a-Si TFT’s, has caused significant delays.

The IGZO model used by Sharp allows for smaller TFT’s, which in turn allow for more light to come through the back of the display, according to slashgear.com. This can keep costs down for the already high priced tablet. Production of the IGZO panels aren’t where Apple and Sharp want them to be, with some saying that Sharp has switched to the a-Si TFT’s used by LG and Samsung. However, this can be a problem for the Apple, seeing how the new iPad is said to have twice as many LED’s as its predecessor, requiring a low cost, high resolution display, in order to keep the battery consumption manageable.

The new iPad will likely see delays of two to three weeks and new orders, according to slashgear.com.

Original source:

http://www.slashgear.com/new-ipad-could-face-retina-display-shortage-09217699/

Apple CEO Tim Cook unveils the new iPad at an event in San Francisco

Every time Apple hosts a press conference, the eyes of the media are on them. Last year, we were expecting to see a new iPhone. What we got was an upgrade. This year we expected a new iPad, but in the end the upgrade is what we got.

Releasing March 16 the 3^rd generation iPad will feature a 2048 x 1536 Retina display, a quad core A5X processor and according to Apple have “1 million pixels more than an HDTV.”

The camera has seen a new update as well with a 5 megapixel iSight camera similar to that on the iPhone 4S. It will have autofocus and white balance as well as 1080p video recording.

Apple’s personal waitress, Siri, also comes included in the package as well as a voice dictation feature.

The new graphics processor and increased resolution makes for some amazing gaming, something that was heavily showcased at the conference.

A new app, iPhoto, will not let you edit your pictures right on the iPad and provide a more intuitive way to look at pictures.

The biggest feature by far is the inclusion of 4G LTE support with Verizon and AT&T carriers. Download speeds have been increased now, boasting a 21 Mbps HSPA+.72 Mbps LTE. Despite this, battery life will remain the same at 10 hours, 9 on 4G.

It will weigh 1.4 pounds and be 9.4mm thin.

Finally, it will retail for $499 for the 16GB wi-fi version, $599 for the 32GB, and $699 for the 64GB ($629, $729 and $829 for the 4G versions respectively).

To summarize, the New iPad features:

• 4G LTE with AT&T and Verizon
• March 16th release date.
• Siri included
• iPhoto
• 2048 x 1536 Retina display
• New camera with 1080p recording
• $499 for the 16GB wi-fi version, $599 for the 32GB, and $699 for the 64GB ($629, $729 and $829 for the 4G versions respectively).

Owning a tablet is becoming less and less inaccessible to people who aren’t willing to dole out major dough, no thanks to Apple. This week, Barnes & Noble’s Nook Tablet enters the market at $249, and Amazon.com’s Kindle Fire arrives at $199. Apple’s iPad absolutely has certain qualities that might make it more appealing than its adversaries, but are they really worth dishing out another $300?

3G is absent in the Nook and Kindle Fire, but still, the price remains. Hopefully the competition will inspire Apple to rethink its costs.

Apple has released a statement declaring that they will replace the first generation iPod Nano due to the slim chance of the device overheating.

The iPod was sold from September 2005 to December 2006, and though it hasn’t been mass produced in years, Apple asserts that they will be replacing each 1G Nano with the same version.

Replacements will be sent to users about six weeks after they send their old models.

Apple released the new iOS 5.0.1 upgrade Thursday in response to complaints about battery life. The update can be downloaded to the third and fourth-generation iPod touch, all iPad models, iPhone 3GS, iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S.

The upgrade was released sooner than expected, but according to the Apple discussion forums, it has done little, if anything, for many consumers of the product. Many users complain about the upgrade possibly leading to failure in other iPhone features.

Apple’s iOS 5 is out now, promising a better user experience.

The update contains over 200 new features, including the following:

• Notifications
  • Swipe from the top of any screen to view notifications in one place with Notification Center
  • New notifications appear briefly at the top of the screen
  • View notifications from lock screen
  • Slide the notification app icon to the right on the lock screen to go directly to the app
• iMessage
• • Send and receive unlimited text, photo, and video messages with other iOS 5 users
  • Track messages with delivery and read receipts
  • Group messaging and secure encryption
  • Works over cellular network and Wi-Fi
•  Newsstand
• • Automatically organizes magazine and newspaper subscriptions on Home Screen
  • Displays the cover of the latest issue
  • Background downloads of new issues
• Reminders for managing to do lists
• • Syncs with iCloud, iCal and Outlook
  • Location-based reminders when you leave or arrive at a location for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
• Built-in support for Twitter
• • Sign-in once in Settings and tweet directly from Camera, Photos, Maps, Safari and YouTube
  • Add location to any tweet
  • View twitter profile pictures and usernames in Contacts
• Camera improvements for devices with cameras
• • Double click the home button when device is asleep to bring up a camera shortcut on iPhone 4S, iPhone 4, iPhone 3GS and iPod touch (4th generation)
  • Volume Up button to take a picture
  • Optional grid lines to line up shots
  • Pinch to zoom in the preview screen
  • Swipe to camera roll from preview screen
  • Tap and hold to lock focus and exposure, iPad 2 and iPod touch (4th generation) only support exposure lock
• Photo improvements for devices with cameras
• • Crop and rotate
  • Red eye removal
  • One tap enhance
  • Organize photos into albums
• Mail improvements
• • Format text using bold, italic, or underlined fonts
  • Indentation control
  • Drag to rearrange names in address fields
  • Flag messages
  • Mass mark messages as flagged, read or unread
  • Customize mail alert sounds
  • S/MIME
• Calendar improvements
• • Year view on iPad and new Week view for iPhone and iPod touch
  • Tap to create an event
  • View and add event attachments
• Game Center improvements
• • Use personal photos for your Game Center account
  • Compare your overall achievement scores with your friends
  • Find new Game Center friends with friend recommendations and friends of friends
  • Discover new games with custom game recommendations
• AirPlay Mirroring for iPad 2 and iPhone 4S
•  Multitasking Gestures for iPad
• • Use four or five fingers to pinch to the Home Screen
  • Swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar
  • Swipe left or right to switch between apps
• On-device setup, activation and configuration with Setup Assistant
• Software updates available over the air without tethering
• iCloud support
• • iTunes in the Cloud
  • Photo Stream
  • Documents in the Cloud
  • Apps and Books automatic download and purchase history
  • Backup
  • Contacts, Calendar, and Mail
  • Find My iPhone
• Redesigned Music app for iPad
• Hourly weather forecast
• Real-time stock quotes
• Wireless sync to iTunes
• Keyboard improvements
• • Split keyboard for iPad
  • Improved autocorrection accuracy
  • Improved Chinese and Japanese input
  • New Emoji keyboard
  • Personal dictionary for autocorrection
  • Optionally create keyboard short cuts for frequently used words
• Accessibility improvements
• • Option to light LED flash on incoming calls and alerts for iPhone 4S and iPhone 4
  • Custom vibration patterns for incoming calls on iPhone
  • New interface for using iOS with mobility-impairment input devices
  • Option to speak a selection of text
  • Custom element labeling for VoiceOver
• Exchange ActiveSync improvements
• • Wirelessly sync tasks
  • Mark messages as flagged, read or unread
  •  Improved offline support
  • Save a new contact from a GAL service
• More than 1,500 new developer APIs
• Bug fixes

The update works with the iPhone 4S, 4, 3GS, iPad, iPad 2, iPod Touch (3rd and 4th generations)

For information on the security content of the update, visit support.apple.com.

Steve Jobs, Apple Co-Founder and former CEO, died of respiratory arrest caused by a pancreatic tumor on October 5, according to officials.

The Santa Clara County Public Health Department in San Jose, Calif. released the information Monday as the official cause of death. 

No autopsy was performed.

The launch of the iPhone 4 in June 2010 hit a bit of a rough patch for Apple, when several customers complained about loss of signal strength and dropped calls while touching the lower left edge of the phone.

Soon after the complaints began, Apple made a controversial statement, claiming that while they understood the issue, many of their competitor’s phones had the same problem and initially offered no other resolve for the problem. Once a lawsuit was threatened against the company and their partners at AT&T for fraud, Apple released a five dollar quick patch, a cleverly shaped band-aid with the catch phrase “Apple made a boo-boo.” Later, they released a free bumper casing for iPhone 4 owners in order to put an end to the complaints.

The technical issue and following actions taken by Apple were named by some online tech-bloggers as “Antennagate” and became a black mark on Apple’s mostly stellar cell phone record.

It seems now though; a permanent change has been made to this flaw, as the newly announced iPhone 4S will feature a pair of antennas that should eliminate concerns about a loss of single and dropped calls presented by its predecessor. The announcement of the new tech was made this passed Tuesday, at the unveiling of the iPhone 4S.

Apple says that the two antennas outside the case intelligently switch back and forth between each other to maximize the phone’s ability to transmit and receive data. This system should also minimize the loss of calls caused by the former problem. The antennas are also placed on the top and bottom sections of the phone, so as to minimize them both being covered by its I Phone users while gripping the phone.

This addition has been heralded by some as the long awaited permanent response to the iPhone 4’s issues, though it was said that by some that holding the phone horizontally with both hands to text or type may result in a similar “Death Grip” situation.

Whatever the result of the change, the major issue of calls being dropped due to hand position seems to be a thing of the past for iPhone users.

Steve Jobs is remembered outside the Fifth Avenue Apple Store on October 5 in New York City. (WireImage)

On Wednesday October 5, 2011, the world lost on of its strongest cultural and technological icons when Steve Jobs, former CEO of Apple Computers and definer of this generation’s entertainment media, died at age 56.

Jobs had stepped down as CEO of Apple in August and died a day after Apple had its first major tech demo without him.

Born in San Francisco on February 24, 1955, Jobs began his professional path in an extremely unconventional manner. A college dropout, Jobs attended classes as an audit student at Reed College in Portland, Ore., staying in friends’ dorm rooms and getting free meals at local Krishna temples. After a short time at the college he began working for the pioneering video game company Atari and attended spiritual sessions for the teachings of Neem Karoli Baba in India. He also became interested in the LSD movement that was popular at the time in San Francisco, an event in his life that he rated as an extremely crucial part of his development.

In 1976, along with partners Steve Wozniak and Ronald Wayne, Jobs founded Apple Computers and gave the world a product called the Personal Computer.

Throughout the years, the company assembled and sold computers on an ever rising scale, with Jobs constantly pushing for new and creative people to help make the company more profitable. In 1984, the first national introduction to the company was given in the form of a now-famous Super Bowl commercial inspired by George Orwell’s 1984. The commercial was used to hype the release of the Macintosh Computer, the first commercially successful small computer with a graphical user interface and arguably the launching point of the American home computer revolution.

The years after the Macintosh was introduced would be a strenuous time for Apple, a time earmarked by Jobs’ controversial forced removal from the company.

Not to be kept down, Jobs purchased the video wing of George Lucas’ Lucasfilm in 1986 and created Pixar Animation Studios

The company’s first project 1995′s, “Toy Story,” would go on to gross $361 million and become etched in our popular culture forever. “Toy Story 3,” released last year, grossed more than $1 billion.

“Toy Story” was the first feature-length animated movie created 100 percent by computers. Jobs had, for the first time, given the world a commercially successful mix of computers and pop culture that would go on to define both him and Apple in the years to come.

In 1996, Jobs returned to Apple and began overseeing what would become the revolutionary Mac Operating System and iMac computer. The combination of these two products would pull Apple from a failing computer company to the second highest distributor in the world.

Next came iPod, which revolutionized the way people carried and listened to their music. Portable music played existed before the iPod, but it was Apple’s mix of cutting-edge technology with an intuitive interface that would drive it.

Jobs next tackled the smartphone. Rivals Microsoft and Research in Motion had been creating smartphones for years before Apple would release its iPhone, but it was the iPhone that ushered in the smartphone revolution. Perhaps never before has so much power and so many features been so fun and easy to use before. It was Jobs who made the iPhone an integral part of Generation Y’s lifestyle.

We hardly need to mention what came next: the iPad. Again, tablet computers were around long before the iPad, but it was the iPad that made tablet computing mainstream and sent every hardware competitor rushing to copy it.

Besides being an acclaimed businessman and ambassador for his company, Jobs was also a notable technician, being listed as either primary inventor or co-inventor in 338 US patents or patent applications. He was famous for his hands-on approach to Apple’s management, being personally involved with many of the company’s most successful products.

A statement issued from his family said that he had died “peacefully, surrounded by his family.” Jobs’ announced he developed pancreatic cancer in 2004 and had received a liver transplant in 2009. An official cause of death has not been announced.

Nearly as impressive as his life, the reaction to Jobs’ death has been a worldwide headline. In a time where the Occupy Wall Street movement is in full effect and the recent scandals of major companies have left many corporate personalities painted as villains, Jobs has received unprecedented admiration for his actions as CEO and a large online mourning has been going on since his passing. A massive twitter movement tagged #RIP #SteveJobs has everyone from celebrities to elected officials tweeting their well wishes to Jobs’ family and their thoughts on Jobs’ as an inventor and public persona. Possibly the most notable of these memorial statements is President Barrack Obama observing how many people discovered Jobs’ death through their iPhones: “There may be no greater tribute to Steve’s success than the fact that much of the world learned of his passing on a device he invented.”

Steve Jobs, legendary visionary and co-creator of Apple died Wednesday, he was 56. He is survived by his wife of 20 years, Laurene, and four children, including one from a prior relationship.

Jobs was born on February 24, 1955 and grew up in Cupertino, Calif.. which would later become Apple’s headquarters. Partnering with Steve Woszniak, the pair built their first commercial product, the Apple 1, in Jobs’ parents’ garage in 1976. He is credited with much of Apple’s modern vision and product line including the iMac, the iPhone and the iPod.

Jobs recently stepped down from his duties as chief executive in August because he could “no longer meet (his) duties and expectations.”

OtterBox, which makes the ultra-tough, waterproof and idiot proof cases for cell phones and other devices, will have its most popular cases ready to go for the iPhone 4S, the company said today.

OtterBox Defender, Reflex, Commuter and Impact Series cases will be out this fall with a new camouflage color scheme joining the fray.

More information here.

It may not be the iPhone 5 millions were anticipating, but Apple took the stage today in Cupertino, CA to announce the next evolution of its iPhone line, the iPhone 4S.  The new handset will be available for AT&T, Verizon and for the first time ever — Sprint on October 14.

The new 4S looks nearly identical to its predecessors, but according to Apple contains a new A5 processor that’s  is up to seven times faster at rendering graphics and twice as fast at processing data. It also features a new virtual assistant named “Siri” who will respond to voice commands and be able to translate speech in to text. Siri will also talk back to respond to questions. To display this, Apple’s Scott Forstall, a senior vice president for iPhone software asked Siri to find a Greek restaurant in Palo Alto. Siri pulled up the listing from Yelp and said ”I have found 14 Greek restaurants; five of them are in Palo Alto. I have listed them according to ranking.”  During the demo she did not say “I’m sorry, I can’t do that Hal…”

“I’ve been in the AI field a long time. This blows me away,”  said Forstall. Among other upgrades, the 4S will also have extended battery life, an 8 mega-pixel camera and the ability to shoot high definition video.

“When you think about it, only Apple could make such amazing software, hardware and services and bring them together into such a powerful yet integrated experience,” Apple’s new CEO Tim Cook said at the press conference.

Apple also detailed iOS 5, which features cloud storage and will be available on October 12.

Apple is holding a press event on October 4 at 10 a.m. Pacific Time, where it is widely believed the company will announce, or perhaps release, the iPhone 5.

It is possible that Apple will release the widely anticipated new iPhone at the event, with the top names in tech journalism in the audience.

The event will also probably mark new Apple CEO Tim Cook’s first major appearance at a launch event.

SlashGear reported that Apple may demonstrate the new phone’s 4G capabilities.

The most recent rumors say that the iPhone 5 will have a dual-core A4 processor, 8 megapixel camera, iOS 5, thinner body and larger display.

Fans could be disappointed, however, as it is also possible that Apple will merely unveil a cheaper iPhone 4 called the iPhone 4S, SlashGear reported.

The event is tagged “Let’s Talk iPhone” and will be held at Apple’s Cupertino, Calif. headquarters.

Geek Noun/g?k/

-An enthusiast or expert especially in a technological field or activity

Minimal (Adj  \?mi-n?-m?l\)

- Barely adequate, the least possible

It’s hard out there for a geek. Not only do I find that statement to be true, it’s even tougher for a geek who loves gadgets, yet has little to no money to purchase any such technology. Consequently, I call myself a “Minimal Geek.”

I love technology and I don’t remember a time where electronics weren’t on the top of the list of things I wanted to own. To this day, I find myself wanting gadgets and gizmos aplenty before I even think about buying other things I might actually need; like clothes. With all the passion I boast for technology, there’s one little roadblock that gets me every time. I don’t have the money to buy ANYTHING expensive, and electronics/gadgets (whatever you like to call it) tend to be on the pricy side.

As a “Minimal Geek”, I’m slightly forced to keep my collection of technology, well, minimal. I own a four-year-old MacBook Pro, an iPhone 4 and an Xbox 360. I would love an iPad 2 and a new MacBook Air, but that’s just not going to happen anytime soon. If I was to add just those two products together, that’s roughly $1,500, and that’s if I get the cheaper forms of the products! These prices may not sound ridiculous to some people, but I can’t drop a cool thousand ever time a new gadget hits the scene. So, as broke as I am, I try to keep the technology I do have nice, so it never craps out on me. I hope to get a new laptop soon, but seeing as my cash flow is more minimal than my electronics’ collection, I’ll have to save up for a long time.

As simple of a choice I have to whether I’ll be able to make a big tech purchase (an easy yes or no), it still seems to be a tough decision either way. Until the day I’m filthy rich, without a money problem in the world, I shall geek out with the best of them and plague my mind with wishful thinking of sparkly new tablets, laptops, and electronics galore. It sure doesn’t help that I have expensive taste. Thanks a lot Apple.

The crew that helped put an end to counterfeit Viagra pills from China is now on board with Apple, helping to stop the rampant underground market overseas, according to CNN.

CNN’s report was based off of a memo that Wikileaks exposed last Wednesday and promoted via Twitter.

According to the memo, counterfeit Apple problems are a problem in Asia due to a lack of security.

“As amazing as it seems, computer maker Apple Inc. had no global security team – including inside China – until March 2008, when they hired away the team from Pfizer that formed and led a multi-year crackdown on counterfeit Viagra production in Asia,” the report said.

The memo was written by the U.S. embassy in Beijing and distributed through the Secret Internet Protocol Router Network to officials in the Departments of State, Justice, Commerce and Homeland Security, the FBI, the Patent Office, the FTC, the U.S. International Trade Commission, the Library of Congress and the White House, according to CNN Money.

Read the full text of the memo here.

The news that Steve Jobs is leaving Apple has rocked the tech world over the past week. Beyond that, Apple’s momentous rise over the past two years has made it one of the most valuable companies (and stocks to own) in the US.

But that success hasn’t been going on forever. Sure Apple gave us the iPod, iPhone, and iPad, but here are five products that just plain failed. Rotten apples, you could say:

5. Pippin (1996)

Ah the Pippin, with its AppleJack controller, 14.4 modem, and $600 price point.

Nintendo 64 it was not.

This gaming console PC cost way too much back in the day, and it’s modem made things impossibility slow, even by 1996 WWW standards.

Considering that N64 was about $200 back then, the Pippin never stood a chance.

4. Twentieth Anniversary Macintosh (1997)

There were some innovations here. The TAM was one of the first desktops to use an LCD screen. It also had a Bose speaker system that sounded amazing, and its design was futuristic and playful. For that reason, it was not a total failure.

But its $7,000 price was unheard of, even by Apple standards, even in the 90s.

When you throw in the fact that the TAM was just a Power Mac 6500 with speakers and a monitor for more than $4,000 extra … yeah …

3. QuickTake (1994)

If the QuickTake came out in the late 80s or even 1990, it would be marveled, up there with the Apple II, as something revolutionary, that helped usher in a new generation of tech toys.

But it came out in the mid 90s, when a dozen other companies were racing to put out much better products.

The QuickTake was one of the first digital cameras.

But it only took pictures in 640×480 resolution, had no focus, and only stored eight photos.

The camera was also designed to work with a Mac, instantly limiting its market share.

2. MobileMe

The technology is there. The clouds are there. There is and was nothing revolutionary or impossible or really even that difficult about what MobileMe was designed to do: allow users to access and edit their photos, files, contacts, and calendars from a remote location.

The problem was simple: It didn’t work correctly when it launched. The buggy launch of MobileMe helped usher its demise, along with a 50-cal slug from iCloud.

1. The Apple Lisa (1983)

Reportedly named after Jobs’ daughter, who was born when development started, the Local Integrated Software Architecture computer was Apple’s first try at a GUI-driven computer.

The computer was marketed at businesses, but it’s $10,000 price tag drove away even the hungriest greasy-handed IT department computer nerds.

Some would say the Lisa was a success because it helped usher in the Macintosh in 1984, but that wasn’t the case at all. Businesses and home users flocked to IBM’s cheaper personal computers in the early 80s, cementing the PC as the dominant platform. Apple would never recover.

For that reason, we name the Lisa the biggest failure, in our minds, in Apple’s history. The company rules the tablet PC market and a good chunk of the mobile phone market. It has a monopoly on the portable music market. But it has never, and will never, dominate the desktop computer market, and part of the reason is because IT departments almost always buy the same “type” when they upgrade, partly because of software costs. Therefore, WINDOWS is still what’s in nearly every office and most homes.

Purposefully not on the list

The ROKR.

OK, so nobody likes the ROKR. They still bought it — a lot of them did.

At least 16 different Motorola ROKR cell phone models have been built since 2005, with the latest coming out in June 2009. It is a phone designed to carry your iTunes music. If that’s all you want, and some phone calls, then the phone worked fine. No reason to add any additional hate. No matter how lame the piece of crap is.

NeXT

Not an Apple product, but it was a Steve Jobs product. Apple bought it eventually. The computer didn’t sell well, and the platform it was built on was short lived, but this product is not a failure for one simple reason: In 1991 it was used to create the first web server.

Newton

Can’t call the Newton a failure. It was the first PDA ever. Apple CEO John Sculley actually coined the phrase “Personal Digital Assistant.” So what if it cost too much and the Palm Pilot would soon demolish it?

Apple co-founder Steve Jobs has resigned from his position as the company’s  Chief Operating Officer. The position will be filled by Apple’s former Chief Operating officer Tim Cook. Jobs will stay on as the company’s Chairman of the Board.

The announcement was made via a press release issued by Apple earlier today. “Steve has made countless contributions to Apple’s success, and he has attracted and inspired Apple’s immensely creative employees and world class executive team,” the press release said. “In his new role as Chairman of the Board, Steve will continue to serve Apple with his unique insights, creativity and inspiration.”

Though the announcement is surprising, Jobs has been hindered by a number of health problems in recent years that have forced him to take frequent leaves of absences from his position. These health problems date back to August of 2004, when Jobs had surgery to treat a rare form of pancreatic cancer. Jobs announced in January of 2009 that he was suffering from a hormonal imbalance and in April of that same year Jobs underwent liver surgery.

Jobs reportedly announced his decision via a private letter to Apple’s employees. In the letter, Jobs ensured his faith in Cook and said that he believes that  “Apple’s brightest and most innovative days are ahead of it.”

Apple may start manufacturing the iPad 3 in the fall for a release date sometime early next year, according to reports.

The Wall Street Journal first reported this latest Apple rumor.

According to the newspaper, the iPad 3 “is expected to feature a high resolution display—2048 by 1536 compared with 1024 by 768 in the iPad 2.”

The screen will remain the same size, however.

This matches the ongoing rumors that the iPad 3 will have a so-called “retina display” made famous on the iPhone 4.

Apple is expected to release iOS 5 this fall, which will be a major update to Apple’s mobile operating system which purports to have interoperability with Twitter and a messaging app similar to BlackBerry Messenger.

The iPad 3 is also expected to be thinner and lighter than the iPad 2, according to ABC News. That report also mentions that AT&T is leaking news of an iPhone 5 release in October.

Google will buy Motorola’s former phone making division, Motorola Mobility, for $12.5 billion in cash, marking the search engine giant’s largest acquisition to date.

“Motorola Mobility’s total commitment to Android has created a natural fit for our two companies,” said Google CEO Larry Page in a statement. “Together, we will create amazing user experiences that supercharge the entire Android ecosystem for the benefit of consumers, partners and developers.”

Google Android competes directly with iPhone, Blackberry, and Microsoft Windows-based devices. Mobility makes smartphones for the Android, but sales have floundered, especially against the iPhone/iPad.

Motorola Mobility split from the rest of the company in January.

In the sale, Google will pay $40.00 per share, 63 percent over Motorola’s closing stock price on Friday.

The Associated Press reported that Google is likely interested in Motorola’s many, many patents on mobile phone technology, as a consortium of its competitors, which included Microsoft, Apple and Blackberry maker Research In Motion, recently won the chance to buy thousands of patents from bankrupt Canadian networking gear maker Novell.

A savvy blogger living abroad in Kunming, China uncovered a completely counterfeit Apple Store and spread the story through her BirdAbroad blog, according to the Associated Press.

The store appears completely legitimate, right down to the employees’ name tags and the spiral staircases; the only clue that it is fake are the words “Apple Store” on the sign.

“It had the classic Apple store winding staircase and weird upstairs sitting area. The employees were even wearing those blue T-shirts with the chunky Apple name tags around their necks,’’ said the 27-year-old blogger who remained anonymous. “But some things were just not right: the stairs were poorly made. The walls hadn’t been painted properly. Apple never writes ‘Apple Store’ on its signs — it just puts up the glowing, iconic fruit.’’

A worker at the fake store on Zhengyi Road in Kunmig, which was the bloggers main focus, told the Associated Press that is an “Apple Store” before hanging up the phone.

This store is one of three known in China that are not listed on Apple Inc.’s website as authorized resellers, which Apple Spokeswoman Amy Bessette pointed out. That was her only comment on the issue.

An operator of an authorized reseller in Kunmig, only identified as Zhang, said most customers do not know the stores are counterfeit.

Zhang told the Boston Globe that some of the fake stores’ staff “can’t even operate computers properly or tell you all the functions of the mobile phone.”

These stores were found out after China’s Commerce Minister told American executives that the latest of many crackdowns on product piracy would produce lasting effects.

China’s tendency to counterfeit goods has been a major problem for its trading partners.

Apple’s iPad has pioneered the field of tablets and exceeded expectations of user satisfaction, according to an internationally recognized authority on media tablets and e-readers.

Roger Fidler, program director for digital publishing at Reynolds Journalism Institute at the University of Missouri, found that iPad owners report higher rates of satisfaction the longer they use the tablet, which is very unusual, especially for computers and other electronics.

“It’s unusual for new technology devices,” Fidler said. “In most cases, satisfaction tends to drop off significantly after about 13 weeks. That clearly is not the trend with the iPad.”

In his first study last fall, Fidler found that 94 percent of the 1,600 surveyed were either very satisfied or somewhat satisfied with their iPad.

Fidler’s follow up study this spring found that nearly 70 percent of the 561 respondents were more satisfied than they were last fall.

Fidler has been conducting surveys of iPad users since last fall to understand how the tablet is used in daily life and how it may influence journalism and news consumption in the future.

“While the iPad is designed for consuming all kinds of media, it has become clear that leisure reading of news and features is very popular with owners,” Fidler said. “The iPad’s ultra-thin, lightweight nearly magazine-size screen is more conducive for reading than laptop computers and other mobile devices. The screen size seems to be one of the main reasons for its sustained user satisfaction.”

The majority of iPad owners use their tablet at home throughout the evening from their couch or easy chair, according to Fidler’s study. The complete results can be found online.

Fidler’s next step is a study this summer to gauge satisfaction with all tablets on the market. The results will be available in the fall.

The rumor of the day has been a possible iPod Touch 3G model may. be. coming soon, perhaps as early as this fall, if you believe that we are on the cusp of an iPhone 5.

The iPod Touch 3G would be like an iPad 3G — lots of data, but not “actually” a phone. Plug in Skype or the incredible Line2 app, and you’re “almost” a real cell phone.

In real life, this product doesn’t make a whole lot of sense, and that’s not just because an obscure Dutch website “broke” the story.

A “lite” iPhone, which is what a 3G iPod Touch would be, doesn’t make sense for these reasons:

• Manufacturers have essentially stopped making accessories for the iTouch. It’s a dying product. It was amazing. It is amazing, but…
• The iPhone 3GS is just about free if you sign a contract. Why pay for a lite iPhone, when you can get a real one?
• As ZDNet’s Adrian Kingsley-Hughes writes: “Do you really think that just after announcing the iPhone 5 (or whatever it ends up being called) Steve Jobs is going to pause, then turn back to the audience and say “oh, and one more thing … here’s a crappier, cheaper version of the new iPhone we just announced!”? I don’t think so!”

But hey, it’s an Apple rumor!

We could be only weeks away from the next great iPhone release.

Apple will release the iPhone 5 on September 7, and it will come preloaded with iOS 5, according to a report on the website International Business Times.

At least 200 new features are expected in the iOS 5 launch, which Apple has already confirmed for fall.

The competition faced by Google’s Nexus 4G puts Apple in a position to have to make a move, perhaps more quickly than they anticipated. We can only assume that the iPhone 5 will be a 4G phone, since every other major competitor has gone that way.

Dad deserves something nice for Father’s Day this year as in every year. Long gone are the days of ties and Oxford shirts.

He needs something techy, edgy, and functional. And sometimes they need new versions of things they’ve had for years. Here are some leather gift ideas too.

Buy your dad: A paper shredder

We’re not saying your father is a white collar criminal. Actually, odds are that dear old dad already has a paper shredder.

He just needs a new one.

If your dad’s paper shredder is a dinky clip-on-the-trash-bin model from 10 years ago, buy him the Swingline Stack and Shred. It shreds credit cards, staples, paper-clipped documents and up to 100 pages at a time. Your dad will never have to worry about having his identity stolen.

Blast tested the Stack and Shred, and it is the best shredder we’ve ever used. It sucks up anything you throw at it and then asks for more. It’s especially great for dads that are accountants, lawyers, or insurance salesmen. ($215)

Buy your dad: A power drill

Cordless power drills are a staple in every dad’s arsenal. They build walls, assemble furniture, mount televisions to the wall, and fix nearly everything.

Trouble is, the same drill your dad bought in 1998 isn’t cutting it anymore. Ask your dad how long the battery stays charged in his drill…

The Milwaukee 2601-22 M18 Red Lithium 1/2 in. 18-volt Compact Hammer Drill is the solution. It’s up in the typical tool lovers price range, but it has a reliable battery with good life.

Two key words phrases: hammer drill and 18 volts. Don’t buy a 12-volt drill.

The M18 can deliver 550 pounds of torque with a variable speed trigger, making projects much easier. We tested. We approve. ($199)

Buy your dad: A Root Beer Brewing Kit

For some reason, dads just seem to love root beer, and this is kind of a cute gift that’s great for younger kids/dads.

ThinkGeek is offering the Root Beer Brewing Kit that will let you and your dad do just that.

The kit is cheap, includes everything except the sugar, and lets you make about two gallons of root beer in a few days. ($26.99)

Buy your dad: A gas grill

Oh God, does your dad need this…

A lot of dads — a LOT of dads — have stood by their old faithful grill since, oh, before you were born.

Remember one word: Weber.

The Weber Summit is the best gas grill on the market, but for $2,000, your father can buy his own damn grill.

The Weber Genesis series is an excellent higher-end choice for a dad who needs a new grill. We’ve tested the Genesis E-310 three-burner grill, and we approve. It cooks food perfectly and evenly. Pool your funds with mom and the siblings. It will benefit you as much as him, only he’ll enjoy it more. ($699)

Buy your dad: A flash drive

You’d be amazed by how many fathers need more USB flash drives.

Dads benefit from their storage capacity, small size, and utter ease of use. Do you remember the old days? Did anyone out there try to teach their dad to burn data to a CD-R?

We like the Verbatim: TUFF-‘N’-TINY drives for their small size and keychain cache. The 4GB version will hold all his photos, important documents, and the family’s Quicken backups. ($23.99)

Last but not least, buy your dad: An iPad

Your dad will never ask for it. Trust us, he wants one.

Blast’s editor teamed up with his brother and mother to buy dad an original iPad for Christmas. He hasn’t put it down since. The iPad can do everything that a computer can — and it’s newer.

If you have the extra dollars, go for the 3G iPad, but if you don’t think dad wants or needs another Verizon or AT&T contract, you can stay with WiFi. Another bit of advice: Most dads don’t have massive music collections, and they don’t download nearly as much video content as you do. The 16GB iPad 2 should be sufficient. ($499)

Buy now!

The iPad is on sale!

It’s a Memorial Day BONANZA at Best Buy.

Or is it?

Check your email. You probably have an email flyer from the big-blue-and-yellow-box store declaring a Memorial Day Sale — with an iPad starting at $499.

Thing is, that is the original, everyday price of the iPad.

Best Buy also advertises L.A. Noire for Xbox 360 for $59.99, which is also the original MSRP.

What’s on sale? Well they have “City Slickers” on Blu-ray for $9.99.

Oh, and 20 percent off ink and toner … but that’s only for Wednesday. Sorry, Memorial Day shoppers.

In fact, one of the only “sale” products listed, after clicking the “sale” link on the flyer is a really just awful Coby 32-inch LCD television for $249.99, which is hilarious considering that Best Buy also sells a really amazingly good Sharp 32-inch LCD HDTV for $329.99.

This isn’t exactly “Extreme Couponing.”

We knew this day would come. As Apple’s Facetime technology — and competing tech from other mobile companies — makes video calling popular after two decades of existence, pornography has come to take advantage of the trends.

iP4Play bills itself as the “first and only provider of live adult entertainment utilizing Apple’s FaceTime technology.”

Miss FaceTime 2010 Charlotte Stokely

iP4Play is a brand new company. During its first six months in existence, the company has also offered two-way audio and video sex over Skype.

“iP4Play users have quickly realized the benefits of the iP4Play experience over traditional computer-based webcam services,” the company said in a statement. “Unlike most webcam services that offer only one-way interaction, iP4Play offers true interactive two-way audio and video via FaceTime on iPhone 4, iPod Touch, the iPad 2, and Mac computers.”

As for Charlotte Stokely, she was born in a much more conservative geography in Utah and now lives in SoCal. She’s Scandinavian and English and loves music, movies, and reading.

We’re not exactly sure what the “Miss FaceTime” award entails, but it gives us an excuse to post her photo on Blast.

“I am so thrilled and excited at winning this incredible award,” says Charlotte. “I have so much fun with the people from all over the world who come to get away from life’s craziness to enjoy having a crazy time with me!”

You can follow Charlotte on twitter at @Char_Stokely.

Google is no longer top dog. Apple has taken the spot from which Google has had for the past four years. In a study conducted by Millward Brown, a site geared towards marketing trends, they determined that premium trumps free.

The companies have contrasts between them, and with a premium service like Apple, the fact that they pushed Google from the top has to do with their business model.

Per the site “Google is the archetypal Internet brand, with free services and open systems. Premium-priced Apple eschews the open model in favor of what Steve Jobs refers to as an “integrated” model.”

This is working for Apple in a big way, and it is this consistency that makes the brand a strong one. Regardless of which Apple product you use, the interface and design is both easy and familiar for its users which is probably why Apple consumers continue to purchase their products time and time again.

This is good news for the company that has had bad press lately over their tracking system. With this news, can Apple maintain their top spot?