Next-Gen iPad Rumored; $99 Acer 7-Inch Tablet; Infographic: State of the Internet

Topping tech headlines this week are rumors of the next Apple tablet.

Tipping a thinner, lighter profile, reports suggest that the next-generation iPad will incorporate elements of the iPad mini, including the black/slate or white/silver color schemes. Rumors point to a March 2013 unveiling of the tablet, which will allegedly include a 4mm reduction in height, 17mm in width, and 2mm in depth, according to a Japanese blog.

In other tablet news, Acer is reportedly prepping a $99 device dubbed the Iconia B1. The tablet, which is expected to make its debut in early 2013, may never make it to the states. Acer is likely eyeing Chinese consumers, according to the Wall Street Journal, which said that the Taiwan-based computer maker is looking for a fight with the no-name Android tablets popular in China. The Iconia B1 will sport a 7-inch, 1,024-by-600 display and a 1.2-GHz dual-core processor, with specs similar to the Kindle Fire or Nook Color.

Meanwhile, worldwide Web use is still on the rise, according to a new infographic. In 2011, the number of Internet users increased by 8 percent, driven mostly by Asian countries; a majority of the 2.3 billion global Internet users were from China.

Also making headlines this week:

• Samsung Reaches 'Milestone' on Path to 14nm: Samsung last week announced a "milestone" in its development of 14-nanometer process technology for semiconductor manufacturing, and signed an agreement with ARM.
• RIM Changing Up Service Fees for BB10, Spooks Investors: RIM's switching to tiered service plans for its customers, which might cut its revenue from service fees by a third.
• Minecraft Documentary Producers Voluntarily Put Film on The Pirate Bay: The film premiered on Xbox Live over the weekend and officially went on sale Sunday, even though it became available Saturday for free.
• Google and Motorola Working on New 'X Phone,' But Details Scant: And so begins the fun: How to develop a killer device to rival the iPhone without hacking off Google's other Android partners.
• Huawei Teases 6.1-Inch 'Ascent Mate' Smartphone: Time to buy a new smartphone? Hardly. Time to buy a bigger hand.
• After a Cautious 2012, HP Looks Ahead: Meg Whitman finally has HP focused on stabilizing itself instead of adding to its sprawling portfolio, but she may still have to pull the trigger on some tough decisions soon.

Source: PCmag

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