ipad

The number of tablet users is on the rise, according to a report from the Online Publishers Association released today.

By 2013, nearly half of the United States' Internet users will own tablets, the study estimates, based on a survey examining demographics and consumer behavior and attitude toward advertising. That means more than 117 million people will own slates in the U.S.

The survey found that 31 percent of consumers already own tablets this year -- a 12 percent increase from last year.

A look at the breakdown of which platform tablet users own, Android has actually caught up … Read more

Today we're shooting cowboys in the living room and bringing game shows to our tablets:

A leaked PDF document hints at what Microsoft could have in store for the next version of Xbox. If the 56-page document is true, the Xbox 720 has a planned release for 2013 and will play Blu-ray movies, 3D videos and it would work with special glasses for augmented reality gaming. The document also suggests the next version of the Kinect will track four people at once, have improved voice recognition and it could be split into two units on both sides of the … Read more

A Chinese court will delay ruling on Apple's appeal in the iPad trademark case brought by a company in China as long as the two parties are working toward an agreement, Bloomberg reported today.

Apple appealed in February after an earlier ruling said the iPad maker did not own the trademark in China. The lawsuit was filed by Proview Technology. The Chinese company has filed suit against Apple in the U.S. as well.

Proview argues that it owns the iPad trademark and should be compensated for Apple's use of the name, or Apple should change the tablet'… Read more

The only e-reader fit enough to meet the U.S. State Department's needs is the Kindle Touch. The iPad and Nook simply won't do. The government has asked Amazon to negotiate a no-bid contract of up to $16.5 million to pass out Kindles to the country's embassies overseas. This was first reported by Nextgov.

If Amazon proposes a contract based on the State Department's needs, it would theoretically provide at least 2,500 Kindle Touches preloaded with 50 titles each to the State Department; but this number could grow because the government is looking to … Read more

As anyone who bought an iPad Smart Cover knows it doesn't protect the back of your iPad. But now Apple is giving iPad owners an official Apple case that offers both front and back protection: the iPad Smart Case.

The Smart Case retails for $49, comes in six colors, and is compatible with the iPad 2 and the new iPad. At launch, there's no deluxe leather option; this one's made from polyurethane.

Here's what Apple has to say about it:

Apple announced several upgrades for Siri today at the WWDC, including a jump to the lastest iPad.

The personal assistant will now include better responses and several integrations, incluing OpenTable, Rotten Tomates, Yelp, and sports data. Siri can also now launch apps, update Facebook or Twitter, and speak more languages.

According to Apple, Siri is optimized for use in 15 countries. In addition to English, French, German and Japanese, Siri can now converse in Spanish, Italian, Korean, Mandarin, and Cantonese.

Apple is also working with automakers to integrate Siri into cars through a "Eyes Free" feature, which will … Read more

Apple has agreed to pay a $2.25 million settlement today for allegedly misbranding its third-generation iPads in Australia's online store, according to the Apple news blog 9to5Mac.

The complaint was brought by the Australian Competition and Consumer Commission in March and alleged that the computer giant violated the country's consumer law by misleadingly labeling its new iPad as 4G-capable -- the crux being that there aren't any 4G networks compatible with the device in Australia. The branding specifically said, "Wi-Fi + 4G."

Apple's iPad continues to lead the tablet market, while demand for Amazon's Kindle Fire has died down considerably, according to a ABI Research report.

The tablet market in general grew 185 percent since last year, with the industry shipping 18.2 million devices in the first quarter of this year.

Apple accounted for 11.8 million of those shipments, or 65 percent of the market. That's largely thanks to the launch of Apple's third-generation iPad and a price reduction on iPad 2 models.

In contrast, Samsung Electronics shipped 1.1 million tablets. That puts the company … Read more

Get ready for an "exciting" September from Apple.

Topeka Capital Markets analyst Brian White said today, according to Apple blog AppleInsider, that the Cupertino, Calif.-based company is preparing an "exciting" September that will see the launch of its next-generation iPhone and the iPad Mini.

According to AppleInsider, White based his predictions on discussions he's had with "local contacts" in Apple's supply chain in Taipei. He didn't provide any concrete details on what the devices might look like or components they might come with.

Speculation abounds over when Apple might finally … Read more