Tablet competition grows (week in review)

Dell and Hewlett-Packard up the ante in the tablet game, but Apple looks to raise the stakes.

Hewlett-Packard took the wraps off its long-anticipated tablet, a 9.7-inch device it's calling the TouchPad, along with the bombshell that its WebOS is headed to PCs. The TouchPad will run the company's WebOS, which it acquired along with Palm as part of a $1.2 billion deal in April.

The tablet features front-facing cameras for video chat, 16GB or 32GB of built-in memory, support for Adobe's Flash, and a 1.2GHz dual-core Snapdragon processor. Initially the TouchPad will be offered as a Wi-Fi only device, though HP said it plans to release a version with 3G/4G mobile connectivity down the line.
•  HP shows off TouchPad tablet, WebOS for PCs (live blog)
•  HP TouchPad, first take: Some kudos, some cynicism

In a play for the business crowd, Dell expanded its foray into tablets with a new 10-inch Windows 7-based device designed, the company said, for people "who need greater mobility, as well as IT organizations that demand control, security, manageability, and integration with existing infrastructure investments." The Windows 7 Business Tablet, which will run on an Intel processor, could be available by midyear.
•  Yahoo launches tablet-focused 'digital newsstand'

Meanwhile, Apple has the next generation of its iPad in production, according to a report that appears to confirm many of the rumors that have been circulating for the past couple of months. The new tablet will apparently feature a faster processor and a built-in camera for videoconferencing, but it will have the same display resolution as the first model. The new model will reportedly be sold through current partners AT&T and Verizon Wireless--suggesting it might be dual mode for both GSM and CDMA networks.
•  How much will the iPad 2 weigh?
•  Rumored iPad 3 really iPad Mini?

More headlines

Nokia, Microsoft plan Windows Phone deal

In the proposed partnership, Windows Phone would become Nokia's principal OS, and phones would use Microsoft search and ad services.
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U.S. seeks veto powers over new domain names

Obama administration wants the power for it and other governments to veto future top-level domain names, raising questions about free expression and the role of states in shaping the Internet.

Leahy courts Google in antipiracy bill battle

In new push to get legislation through Congress, senator invites giants like Google, Visa, and Verizon to testify about bill that would require them to accept a greater role in antipiracy operations.

It's official: Facebook moving to Menlo Park

Sun's old headquarters on the shore of San Francisco Bay will soon be home to Facebook, one of the fastest-growing companies in the tech industry.
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Gartner: Android ranks 2nd in global smartphones

With a 22.7 percent share of the global smartphone market in 2010 compared with 3.9 percent in 2009, Google's OS catches up to Nokia Symbian, which lost share last year.
•  Android outshines Apple in 4th quarter
•  INQ unveils Facebook-focused Android phones
•  Google seeks to unlock Android 3.0 hardware power

The dawning of Verizon's iPhone era

Apple's iconic device is now being sold through a second carrier, but for all the pent-up anticipation, the lines are remarkably sparse.
•  Analysts mull how many iPhones Verizon will sell
•  Report: Verizon to improve voice quality with 4G
•  Report: Apple making cheaper iPhone to fight Google
•  iPhone passwords succumb to researchers' attack

AOL to buy Huffington Post for $315 million

Arianna Huffington announces she will become head of the newly formed Huffington Post Media Group, which appears set to integrate all HuffPo and AOL content, including Engadget and TechCrunch.
•  The technology side of AOL's Huffington Post buy

MPAA sues Hotfile, battle for cloud begins

The MPAA files suit against a locker service accused of acting as a clearinghouse for pirated films. This is the first time the film industry has sued a cloud film service.
•  Porn studio could teach Apple, Google about cloud

The art of making Google Art Project (Q&A)

Last week, Google unveiled its effort to bring some of the greatest artworks to a global audience, Street View-style. One of the lead developers tells CNET how the project came to be.
•  Google doodles 20,000 leagues under the sea

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