SLIDESHOW: Larger iPad, iPad Mini Delay And More From The First Week Of November
Is it possible for one product to control the week's biggest headlines?
If any, some might expect it to be the iPhone.
But this week Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) proved that another one of its products -- the iPad -- can dominate the media unlike any other.
There were so many iPad-related stories that it was not even possible to include all of them in this top 10 list (without excluding other companies' products, that is).
Other notable stories involved Xbox and Microsoft's (NASDAQ: MSFT) co-founder, a pricey tablet from Panasonic (OTC: PCRFY), and a billion-dollar video game called Call of Duty: Ghosts.
Disclosure: At the time of this writing, Louis Bedigian had no position in the equities mentioned in this report.
Louis Bedigian is the Senior Tech Analyst and Features Writer of Benzinga. You can reach him at louis(at)benzingapro(dot)com. Follow him @LouisBedigianBZ
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Large iPad Due In 2014?
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) is reportedly working on a larger iPad for release in 2014.
The latest rumor came after another report claimed that Samsung (OTC: SSNLF) would release a 12-inch tablet in 2013.
Little is known about the big iPad, but it is likely to contain more storage options and a faster processor than the iPad Air.
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Panasonic To Sell Most Expensive Tablet Of All Time
If you thought an iPad Air was expensive, wait until you feast your eyes on Panasonic's (OTC: PCRFY) Toughpad 4K.
Named after the 4K (Ultra High-Definition) display that fills the 20-inch screen, the Toughpad 4K will retail for $5,999 when it is released next January.
At that price, consumers could purchase 12 iPads.
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Call of Duty: Ghosts Earned $1 Billion In A Day
Remember those stories about how the game industry was dead and smartphone apps like Angry Birds were destined to take over?
Activision (NASDAQ: ATVI) can officially laugh all the way to the bank about that one.
The company's latest first-person shooter, Call of Duty: Ghosts, earned $1 billion in just one day.
The game is sure to make more over the next several weeks.
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iPad Thwarts Nexus 7, Kindle Fire Uprising
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) may have had something to worry about when the first Kindle Fire was released.
That may have changed, however.
Despite releasing improved seven-inch tablets at $229, Google (NASDAQ: GOOG) and Amazon (NASDAQ: AMZN) have reportedly reduced their shipments of the Nexus 7 and Kindle Fire HDX.
The source of the shipment reduction is none other than Apple, whose new tablets (and the rumors of them leading up their release) reportedly hurt the new Google and Amazon devices.
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Microsoft Advised To Sell Xbox, Search Ad Divisions
Should Microsoft (NASDAQ: MSFT) sell off Xbox, one of the firm's most profitable divisions?
Should it get rid of search ad revenue, which could be crucial to the company's future in competing against Google (NASDAQ: GOOG)?
Paul Allen, the man who helped start Microsoft with Bill Gates, thinks that the company needs to spin off its consumer business.
As one of the richest men in the world, he knows a thing or two about business.
That said, Allen's $15 billion net worth is a paltry sum compared to Gates' $72 billion nest egg.
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Apple Might Postpone iPad Mini Launch
The iPad Mini with Retina Display is one of the most talked about tablets of the year -- mostly because of its price.
At $399, it will become the most expensive seven-inch tablet available.
But its availability is being called into question thanks to a number of rumors claiming that the high-resolution display has a burn-in problem.
If that problem is not resolved quickly, Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) may not be able to release the Mini this year.
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Samsung May Not Be Ready To Compete With Apple's iPhone 5S
After Samsung (OTC: SSNLF) saw the iPhone 5S, the company responded by saying that it would release a 64-bit smartphone of its own.
That product could be more than a few months away, however, if the company's analyst day presentation is any indication.
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iPad On Track To Sell 20M Units
The iPad news continued with a report claiming that Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) will sell as many as 20 million units during the December quarter.
This is a fair number, but it would actually be lower than the number of iPads Apple sold last year.
During the last December quarter, Apple sold 22.9 million tablets.
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Apple Goes American - For Sapphire
Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL) gained a piece of American beauty this week after signing a deal with GT Advanced Technologies (NASDAQ: GTAT).
GT will build a new plant in Mesa, Arizona to provide Apple with sapphire material for new products.
This could result in sturdier displays that are more resistant to scratches.
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iPad Air's Superior Margins Are A Big Win For Apple
Not only is the iPad Air lighter and thinner, it is also a little bit cheaper than the third-generation iPad.
This is good news for Apple (NASDAQ: AAPL), which needs better margins to appease wary investors.
Image Source: Wikimedia Commons -
More Tech Highlights
See what else is going on in the world of technology.
- Apple's iPad Air Sales Exceed Expectations by 30%
- RapidMiner Gains $5 Million To Better Serve PayPal, Pepsi And Other Major Clients
- GT Advanced Technologies Shares Up Amid Deal with Apple
- Are Google's Barges the World's Largest Technology Kiosks?
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