mini

Is a new Facebook-centric phone coming?

CNET Update gets social:

Stories featured in Friday's tech roundup:

- Facebook expected to announce an HTC smartphone

- Path plots subscription service for 2nd quarter

- Amazon scoops up Goodreads social network

- New Windows 8 specs could open door for 7-inch tablets

- First look at the $99 Ouya game console

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Apple's new campaign: iPad is still lovable, kids

It's always troubling when a salesman looks into the future and tells me that I'm going to love something.

How can he possibly know? It makes me feel so terribly obvious, devoid of secrets and subtlety.

Oddly, Apple has decided to use the opportunity of this weekend to tell me why I'm going to love the iPad.

How does Apple know I don't? Perhaps I dated it for a while and decided it was too short or too demanding or just too beautiful for me?

A new Web campaign for the iPad swoops in after a similar exercise for the iPhone, … Read more

The compact and wearable BlackBerry Mini Stereo Speaker

The BlackBerry Mini Stereo Speaker doesn't look like your average Bluetooth wireless speaker. Crafted in the shape of a U, this tiny Bluetooth smartphone accessory can be pinned to shirts, bag straps, and other articles of clothing so you can enjoy phone audio out loud and with your hands free. The gadget also functions as a speakerphone for hands-free calls. At $99.99, however, the speaker isn't exactly an impulse buy. Also, other portable speaker systems such as JBL's Flip deliver much better sound for the same price.

Design and features I can't deny that this … Read more

Apple to slash iPad Mini shipments, claims report

Apple will reportedly trim iPad Mini shipments for the next quarter, according to tech-news site DigiTimes.

Citing industry sources who provide parts for the tablet," Taiwan-based DigiTimes claims that iPad Mini shipments for the second quarter will fall to between 10 million and 12 million units. The cut may be as high as 20 percent in April and then decline slightly throughout the rest of the quarter, the sources said.

DigiTimes' sources further claim that Apple recently adjusted this year's shipment estimates for the iPad and iPad Mini to 33 million and 55 million, respectively.

If the claims … Read more

Rumor Has It: Will the iPhone 5S be a killer?

This week, it's all about the specs.

The next iPad Mini and Nexus 7 get release dates, but they'll apparently get something even more awesome: high-res screens. The next Google phone is rumored to do something so crazy that makes both of us go into a frenzy of punning. Oh, and Panasonic is bleeding money. Poor Panasonic.

And rounding out this week's rumors: one Apple analyst is sure that the next iPhone will have a killer feature that will put it ahead of the smartphone pack. What could this killer feature be? Leave us a comment and … Read more

Koala iPad mount lets you stick it to your bathroom

I confess. I sometimes set my iPad on the bathroom counter and watch "Buffy the Vampire Slayer" episodes with closed captions turned on while I take a shower. No, it's not an elegant solution. There's a danger of shower splashing, or knocking it over while toweling off. I should probably be looking into acquiring a Koala Mount instead.

The $20 Koala Mount from Dockem is advertised as "damage-free," meaning you could potentially stick them all over your apartment and still have a good shot at recovering your security deposit when you move out. The Koala works with all iPad generations, even the iPad Mini, as well as several popular Android tablets.… Read more

Retina iPad Mini later, new Nexus 7 sooner -- DisplaySearch

An iPad Mini with an upgraded display could appear later in the third quarter or fourth quarter, while a very-high-resolution Nexus 7 may be more imminent, according to DisplaySearch.

"We're seeing potential in the third quarter of panel production for a higher-resolution iPad Mini," DisplaySearch analyst Paul Semenza told CNET today.

"When would the Mini be available? Could be third quarter or fourth quarter," he said, adding that the speculation is DisplaySearch's best guess based on supply chain data.

Estimates about the timing for a Retina version of the iPad Mini have been all … Read more

Refurbished iPad Mini, fourth-gen iPad now on sale

Customers looking to get a break on the price of an iPad or iPad Mini, this one's for you.

Apple has started selling refurbished iPad Minis and fourth-generation iPads in its online outlet store. Apple is selling a customer's choice of the black or white 16GB fourth-generation iPad with Wi-Fi-and-Celluar. The price represents a $50 cut compared with the full-price model.

The iPad Mini's price is $429 -- a $30 drop compared to the $459 new option. The only refurbished iPad Mini on sale is the 16GB option with Wi-Fi-and-Cellular.

Buying refurbished products isn't necessarily a … Read more

Microsoft Surface Pro sales hit 400K in a hurry

Microsoft has sold 400,000 Surface Pros since launch, according to a Bloomberg report.

That's not a bad start for a very pricey tablet -- starting at $899 -- considering that the Windows 8-based Pro launched only about a month ago.

"That's a respectable number and it leads me to believe that Surface Pro will end up outselling Surface RT," Bob O'Donnell, an analyst at IDC, said in a phone interview.

O'Donnell is referring to the RT version of Surface, which is less expensive, starting at $499, but it is not compatible with older … Read more

MVNO carrier Ting says it will get the Galaxy S4

We're still 24 hours from knowing if the Samsung Galaxy S4 even exists, but that hasn't stopped one wireless carrier from bragging about the device to customers.

Earlier today, Ting, a mobile virtual network operator (MVNO) that resells Sprint's network, posted a blog on its site where it promised that not only would it snag the long-awaited Galaxy S4 but also the recently-announced HTC One, and the Samsung Galaxy S3 Mini.

Join CNET on Thursday, March 14 at 3 p.m. PT / 6 p.m. ET for live coverage of the Samsung Galaxy S4 event

"In … Read more