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Apple made out well on a number of its pending patents today. The iPhone-maker was granted 25 new patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, according to Patently Apple.

Time Machine, iTunes Store, iMac, iPad Smart Covers, and Apple Store displays are just a few of the products that this round of patents cover. Many of the other patents are for items like connectors, security, and networking, according to Patently Apple.

Some of the patents are exclusively for different applications of Apple products, for example, the iTunes store patent, which is called "Content Rental System" and … Read more

A lot of people like the concept of being able to use a keyboard with their iPads but one of the problems with cases that integrate a built-in Bluetooth keyboard is they tend to be bulky.

As you can guess from the name of Logitech's new $99.99 Ultrathin Keyboard Cover for the third-generation iPad and iPad 2, the company is touting the product's new, trimmer design.

No word on the exact weight but we should get a review sample in shortly and will put it on the scale. In the meantime, here's what Logitech has to … Read more

Facebook has quietly increased the size of users' profile photos so they are more pronounced. Profile photos now measure 166 x 160 pixels, quite a bit larger than previous size of 130 x 125 pixels, according to The Next Web.

A Facebook spokesperson confirmed that the social network had made profile photos bigger but did not give CNET any further information on why it made the change.

This is likely to appease some users because their profile photos now stand out better within their Timeline Cover images. It could also impact users who have customized their profile and cover photos … Read more

Some people treat their iPads -- and iPad cases -- with extra care. Some don't.

Take CNET editor Joe Kaminski's Apple iPad Smart Cover, which I previously mentioned in a piece entitled, "Apple's iPad 2 color conspiracy." It's now a year old and in not in particularly good shape, with worn, fraying corners and assorted other blemishes.

"It's not that I'm not careful," Joe told me. "I just use it. This is what it looks like when you pull it in and out of a bag for a year." … Read more

Recently, a few stories have posted about problems some new iPad buyers encountered with the iPad sleep/wake function when opening and closing "smart" covers--those iPad screen covers that automatically put the tablet to sleep when closed.

Mashable wrote a story focusing on the problem with Apple's Smart Covers, "which attach to the iPad's built-in magnets [and] are supposed to turn the tablet on automatically when you flip them open." Apparently, some users were complaining that their old Smart Covers weren't working with their new (third-generation) iPads. … Read more

The browser extension, ImageFlow for Amazon - PictureFox, makes it easy to view Amazon product photos in a gallery like Apple's CoverFlow.

After you install the extension, you'll notice a Play button above the images on the Amazon product page.

Clicking on the Play button will launch the ImageFlow gallery in a new tab, where you can easily navigate through all the photos, including those uploaded by customers (can be disabled).

When browsing through a list of Amazon products, hovering over the product will also display an enlarged preview image of that product. If you don'… Read more

Flipboard tonight unveiled a new version of its popular iPad app, an update led by the inclusion of Cover Stories, a feature that gives users a one-stop feed for the articles the service considers most relevant based on their social connections and what they've already read.

The new feature was introduced originally with Flipboard's iPhone app, and until now it hasn't been available for the iPad. But this new release makes Cover Stories a key component of the company's plan to make its app the best place for users to go to catch up on the … Read more

If you have an iPad 2, you might be familiar with Apple's Smart Cover accessory, a cover that locks and unlocks your device using a simple magnet system.

Bearing in mind that magnets were always known to "break" electronics, the technology is really neat, offering you one less step to access your iPad and get stuff done.

The only issue with the Smart Cover is that it's flimsy--its thin, minimalist construction offers your iPad no protection from falls, bumps, or scratches. And even though they come in a variety of colors, the Covers are still pretty … Read more

CNET TV reviewer Ty Pendlebury joins in on a fun rundown to start the week. We'll chat about a proposed bill that would require marketers to put a disclaimer on doctored advertisements, self-destructing e-mails, a Sony heads-up "VR" display, and something called "nomophobia." Yeah, you probably suffer from it already.… Read more