pad

An iPad Mini Retina looks possible this year. But will it duplicate the first Mini's success and dimensions?

Production of the display for the Retina Mini should start by July with a product likely in the third calendar quarter, DisplaySearch analyst Richard Shim recently told CNET. (That said, delays are not unheard of in the annals of new product schedules.)

Which raises some questions about the Retina Mini -- no matter what quarter it makes its debut.

At only 7.9 inches, are the demands of an insanely pixel-dense 2,048x1,536 display compatible with the design of today'… Read more

Pentagon employees may soon start using Apple mobile devices, like iPhones and iPads, on the U.S. Defense Department's secure network.

The department expects to clear the devices for use on its network early next week, Bloomberg reported Friday.

It's a space that's normally dominated by BlackBerry, but with other smartphone brands gaining popularity, the federal government is considering other options. Those options include Samsung, which officials cleared last week.

Approval means employees using government-issued iOS 6 devices can access military networks after the department builds a mobile-device management system to secure the phones and … Read more

Android dominated the global smart mobile device market in the first quarter, according to a new report from Canalys.

That market -- which combines smartphones, tablets, and notebooks -- hit 308.7 million units in the first quarter, representing year-on-year growth of 37.4 percent, according to Canalys, which released the report on Thursday.

By operating system market share, Android was on top with 59.5 percent of all smart mobile devices shipped. Apple was second with a 19.3 percent share, while had Microsoft had an 18.1 percent share.

Global tablet shipments grew 106.1 percent year-on-year to … Read more

The race is on to build a better e-mail client for iOS, with apps like Incredimail and Mailbox all vying to deliver a better experience than Apple's own Mail.

The latest entrant: Evomail, which promises a better Gmail experience than Google's own Gmail app. But does it deliver?

Yes and no. Evomail closely resembles the latest Gmail app, which is to say it's attractive and smartly designed, with a simple expanding-panel layout that's admirably easy to navigate.

Evomail brings a couple of neat tricks to the table, including color-coded labels, a gesture-based reply option (just swipe … Read more

Drum Pad Free is one of those apps that gives you exactly what it promises without frills or gimmicks. No hidden menus. Just a simple drum pad app that works as advertised with no unwanted upgrade banners flashing across the screen. Of course because it is free and admittedly very limited in what it allows you to do, Drum Pad (Free) isn't right for everyone.

The app is very easy to use. Open it and you are presented with nine drum pads. Tap each of them to make a noise. They are each labeled with the associated sound they … Read more

It wasn't very long ago that for a developer to make a successful weather app, it had to have the most information possible. This meant developers would compete to pack tons of graphs, maps, diagrams, written forecasts -- and even forums where people could talk about weather -- into busy, confusing apps that tried to cover it all. But what you ended up with were long, listlike menus when the only information you probably wanted was what the weather might be like for the weekend.

Don't get me wrong, the feature-packed weather apps have their place, particularly when … Read more

Combine a touch screen and a basic music app and you can do some pretty incredible things. That is the thinking behind Beat Pad, a free app for the iPhone that features 12 evenly-spaced pads that produce a variety of different beats. The goal of the app is simple enough--provide an easy-to-use beat pad that you can take on the go with you anywhere. While the limitations of the app are certainly an issue, the fun of the interface is enough to make it a good download for any beat boxing or DJ hopeful.

The app is as rudimentary as … Read more

You're exploring a new city when time slips away. Darkness now falls and a chill settles in your bones. The growing rumble in your stomach is starting to scare small children who pass by. But don't even think about the neon-tinted, lowest-common-denominator fast food chains--what you need is a hot slice of pizza from a local joint that's still open. The new Pizza Compass app for iPhone and iPad from swaggering (and most assuredly apocryphal) "creator" Zeus Gorham Munkist and small development shop Oak Studios aims to get you there ASAP.

The Pizza Compass app … Read more

Production of the display for Retina iPad Mini should start in the coming months, boasting one of the highest tablet resolutions to date, NPD DisplaySearch told CNET Monday.

"We should see the start of mass production of the panels in June or July," said Richard Shim, an analyst at NPD DisplaySearch.

LG Display will be one of the major manufacturers of the display, he said, adding that Samsung is not a supplier for the Mini.

"Samsung is currently not in the iPad Mini and they won't be in the next generation. LGD is becoming a much … Read more