Next-Gen iPad Rumored; $99 Acer 7-Inch Tablet; Infographic: State of the Internet
Topping tech headlines this week, Apple is rumored to be building a newer, thinner iPad, Acer is reportedly prepping a $99 7-inch tablet, and the Internet continues to prosper.
Topping tech headlines this week are .
Tipping a thinner, lighter profile, reports suggest that the next-generation iPad will incorporate elements of the iPad mini, including the black/slate or white/silver color schemes. Rumors point to a March 2013 unveiling of the tablet, which will allegedly include a 4mm reduction in height, 17mm in width, and 2mm in depth, according to a Japanese blog.
In other tablet news, Acer is dubbed the Iconia B1. The tablet, which is expected to make its debut in early 2013, may never make it to the states. Acer is likely eyeing Chinese consumers, according to the Wall Street Journal, which said that the Taiwan-based computer maker is looking for a fight with the no-name Android tablets popular in China. The Iconia B1 will sport a 7-inch, 1,024-by-600 display and a 1.2-GHz dual-core processor, with specs similar to the Kindle Fire or Nook Color.
Meanwhile, worldwide Web use is still on the rise, according to . In 2011, the number of Internet users increased by 8 percent, driven mostly by Asian countries; a majority of the 2.3 billion global Internet users were from China.
Also making headlines this week:
- : Samsung last week announced a "milestone" in its development of 14-nanometer process technology for semiconductor manufacturing, and signed an agreement with ARM.
- : RIM's switching to tiered service plans for its customers, which might cut its revenue from service fees by a third.
- : The film premiered on Xbox Live over the weekend and officially went on sale Sunday, even though it became available Saturday for free.
- : And so begins the fun: How to develop a killer device to rival the iPhone without hacking off Google's other Android partners.
- : Time to buy a new smartphone? Hardly. Time to buy a bigger hand.
- : Meg Whitman finally has HP focused on stabilizing itself instead of adding to its sprawling portfolio, but she may still have to pull the trigger on some tough decisions soon.