Apple looking to supersize the iPad with 13-inch model?

The next device rumoured to be joining Apple's lineup will be a supersized iPad, according to reports.
According to the Wall Street Journal, Apple and its component suppliers in Asia are now testing larger iPad and iPhone screens.

The companies are looking into a 13-inch screen for the iPad, which is almost a quarter larger than the current largest iPad display of 9.7 inches, and around 40 percent bigger than the iPad mini's 7.9-inch screen.
The iPhone too could be getting larger: according to the Wall Street Journal, Apple has asked for prototype screens that are "larger than four inches".
The paper doesn't say how much larger the screens could be, however, though the flagship devices from Apple's rivals are all larger than its current-generation iPhone: the Nokia Lumia 1020 comes with a 4.5-inch display, for example, while the Samsung Galaxy S4 nudges phablet territory with a five-inch screen. The iPhone 5 has a four-inch display.
The paper notes there's no word yet on whether the larger iPhone or iPad will make it into production.
However, reports last week suggested that the larger iPhone display in question could be 4.3 inches, and arrive on the iPhone 5S, the expected next generation of iPhone. According to Bloomberg, Apple has delayed the launch of the 5S in order to include the larger display.
Other additions to the Apple stable appear to have also got the go-ahead: as well as a refresh to the current iPhone slated to ship in late August and go on sale at the end of the year, the company is expected to introduce a lower-end iPhone with a smaller screen, aluminium body and various colours of outer casing, the WSJ says.

Finally Microsoft Office comes to the iPhone

Microsoft Office In iPHONE

Microsoft Office is finally on mobile, after upstarts like Evernote and Dropbox took advantage of the gap.

The app, which launched Friday in Apple's (AAPL, Fortune 500) App Store, has a catch. It's available (and free) only for users who subscribe to Office 365, Microsoft's cloud-based Office program that costs $100 per year. That means if you're using Office 2010 or Office 2013, you're out of luck.

In a research note, Nomura analyst Rick Sherlund called the app's release "a very limited first step." He noted that Microsoft is likely keeping Office Mobile off the iPad to give Windows 8 and the Surface tablet "a chance to gain traction."

Still, he said, even a limited Office Mobile release "represents a key strategic step for Microsoft."

Related story: Microsoft and Sony are at each other's throats

Office is currently available on other platforms in a limited way. Windows Phone and Surface users have access to the full version of Office, but those devices have gained little traction. Android and for the iPad owners can use Microsoft's Office Web apps, but their functionality is extremely pared down.

That's not the case in the new Office Mobile for iPhone. Users can view and edit documents in Office programs on their iPhones, and the formatting and layout of the desktop version will be kept intact.

It's Microsoft's (MSFT, Fortune 500) first big push into mobile productivity on a competitor's platform. With devices like smartphones and tablets overtaking the PC, some analysts think it's long overdue.

Evernote and Dropbox, meanwhile, have rushed in to fill the productivity gap on mobile devices, "disenfranchis[ing] Office on the hottest growth platforms," Sherlund noted.

Office Mobile could help fix that problem.

The launch of Office Mobile will keep Microsoft relevant in that world -- and it's a potentially big source of revenue, said Laura DiDio, principal analyst at research firm ITIC. Microsoft needs that right now, given that PC sales are seriously struggling and WIndows Phone is a distant third in the smartphone market.

"The life's blood of any software package is its availability on as many platforms as possible," DiDio said. " And since mobility is a key platform, this can only help Office."

Apple New Mac Book Pro : 2013

Apple MAC book pro 2013

As Apple's developers conference approaches, the rumors are coming hot and heavy. The latest? More scuttlebutt on the Mac Pro, Apple's one and only desktop tower, which the company has promised to overhaul and rerelease this year.

New tidbits come from longtime video producer Lou Borella, the creator of the Facebook group "We Want a New Macpro," who on Monday posted details on the changes from "a source or two that has some credibility."

The Gist:

• It will be heavily reliant on Thunderbolt 

• There will be no internal expandability 

• It will have support for dual GPUs with three-monitor support right out of the box 

• No [Firewire 800] or optical drive

• It will be released in the fall

• It will be a completely new design

While some of those details have shown up before, the rumored changes suggest something much closer to a souped-up Mac Mini than the $2,499, expandable desktop tower Apple has kept largely unchanged (physically) for the past decade. But that might not be a bad thing, according to Borella.
"To truly see any benefit in this type of configuration you have to forget what you know about your existing machine," Borella wrote. "You are going to have to believe that Apple has thought about all the possible existing workflows and has a solution that can replace them."

Another move toward a lack of user replaceable parts and an optical drive should not be surprising given what Apple has done with its other products. Optical drives have been phased out of Apple's notebooks in favor of slimmer enclosures, a move that's carried over to desktops like the Mac Mini and the latest iMac. The same goes for hard drives, which Apple has made increasingly hard for users to get to, and replaced with integrated flash storage. With that said, one of the main benefits -- and purposes -- of desktops has been the capability to open up the hood and make adjustments.

The Mac Pro is one of several machines Apple is expected to update in the near future. Others include the MacBook Air and MacBook Pro, which were last updated about a year ago. A report from Apple news site MacTrast last week noted that online availability of the Mac Pro was severely limited, with many online stores listing it as backordered, or out of stock

Gigabytes to go: Choosing the right mobile computer

Gigabytes Mobile Computer

You may own a laptop, but do you really want to lug it very far? To find a device you can actually tote every day, focus on what your new gadget should do best.

HP Envy TouchSmart Ultrabook 4

Cost: $750; 4GB memory, 500GB hard drive 

Size: 9.3 inches tall, 13.4 inches wide 

How it excels: At 0.78-inch thick and less than four pounds, the Envy qualifies as an "ultrabook," the featherweight laptops that now make up 28% of the notebook market, says researcher IHS iSuppli.

The Envy has a seven-hour battery, one HDMI and three USB ports, and, for an extra $20, a backlit keyboard. Windows 8 fans will like its touchscreen, which lets you navigate with the swipe of a finger.

THE BASICS, FAST

Samsung Chromebook

Cost: $249; 2GB memory, 16GB hard drive 

Size: 8.1 inches tall, 11.4 inches wide 

How it excels: The 2.4-pound Chromebook runs only a web browser and apps, keeping it light and zippy, but unlike most Internet-centric devices, it has a full-size keyboard for comfortable typing.

Related: HTC One: An Android phone that works as good as it looks

The device requires a Google account and Wi-Fi for most tasks, though some programs, like word processing, can be used offline. You get 100GB of online storage free for two years, then for $5 a month.

BUSINESS-READY TABLET

Microsoft Surface Pro

Cost: $899 for 64GB 

Size: 6.8 inches tall, 10.8 inches wide 

How it excels: Road warriors like tablets for cramped planes and passing around in meetings, but most slates aren't designed for getting work done. This two-pounder, though, can handle PowerPoint and spreadsheets.

Related: Chromebook could free Google from Microsoft and Apple

Clip on a keyboard ($120 and up) to turn the device into a laptop, or use the stylus to take notes. Like most tablets, it has flash memory rather than a hard drive, but you can add storage with a microSDXC card.

PLAYTIME SPECIALIST

Apple iPad mini

Cost: $329 for 16GB 

Size: 5.3 inches tall, 7.9 inches wide 

How it excels: This 0.7-pound tablet is a star at web browsing, managing music, and playing video and games -- all with up to 10 hours of battery. To add to its 16GB memory, users can store 5GB on iCloud free.

On the downside, the mini is not yet available with a super high-res screen. Miss the crispness? Go with a larger iPad ($499 and up).  

Apple's App Store hits 50 billion downloads

Apple apps store Hit 50 billion 

At 4:54 pm ET on Wednesday, someone downloaded the 50 billionth app from Apple's online App Store.

Apple will give the lucky downloader a $10,000 iTunes gift card. The next 50 people to download an app after that will each receive a $500 gift card.

There was no immediate word from Apple on who won. Apple had a live countdown ticker on its iTunes Web page.

The promotion is yet another reminder of the massive success of Apple's App Store, which opened in 2008, added to the appeal of the iPhone and spawned many bad "there's an app for that" headlines. It also inspired online app stores by Google, BlackBerry and other companies.

The contest was open to entrants 13 or older in a country where the App Store is available. People also could enter without downloading an app by filling out an online form.

This marks the second time in three months that Apple has celebrated an iTunes milestone. In February, Phillip Lupke of Germany received a 10,000 euro (about $13,528) iTunes gift card for downloading the 25 billionth song.

How massive a number is 50 billion? According to Apple, counting to 50 billion would take a person 1,600 years.