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I can't blame you for not being excited by the "new iPad." With the screen turned off, there's really nothing to indicate that it's changed at all.

Obviously, the big update to the third-generation iPad is the vastly improved screen. We hear about product screen improvements all the time, so it's easy to diminish what Apple has done here. I think the QXGA-resolution screen is an impressive feat, but you can choose to believe the hype or not.

But the screen's not the whole story. Did you know that the new iPad is … Read more

Samsung's prolific output of Android tablets can be confusing to navigate. Honestly, I have a hard time keeping them straight myself, and it's my job.

Samsung has no fewer than seven tablets that are either available now, or on their way. And that's not even counting Wi-Fi-only and cellular models separately.

You can make the argument that this abundance of Samsung tablets offers consumers more choice, but it's all really the same stuff. It's like congratulating Taco Bell for figuring out a dozen ways to organize beef, cheese, and tortillas into separate menu items.

By contrast, Samsung's biggest competitor (Apple) releases just one tablet each year, like clockwork. Sure, you can supersize it with more storage, or add a side of 3G data--but the choices are minimal, and they don't change with the seasons.

Still, in spite of Samsung's spastic hemorrhage of tablets over the past year, the company's managed to put out some great products. Hopefully, this post will serve to highlight these accomplishments and give you a sense of where things are heading.… Read more

Anyone who works understands workflow as an intuitive concept, but analyzing, modeling, and designing workflow processes is another thing. Workflow Designer is a freeware workflow application that does much more than map out processes and procedures: it serves as a centralized access point for the data and graphics tools you need to create everything from drawings of simple processes to elaborate mind maps and process diagrams. The optional cloud-based Workflow Connect system gives users access to a wide range of modules to expand their capabilities on demand without committing to unneeded tools.

Workflow Designer opened with an optional tool tip, … Read more

Samsung's lineup of current and upcoming tablets reads like a modern-day Goldilocks story. The manufacturer seems to trying every conceivable tablet screen size in an effort to find one that will be just right for consumers.

Samsung tablet announcements seem to be coming fast and furious these days. To keep track of them all, we've created this chart summarizing the headline specs and differences among Samsung's expanding line of Galaxy tablets.

Will Samsung ever create a tablet larger than 10.1 inches? If this chart suggests anything, it's Samsung's willingness to venture into new territory. … Read more

Anyone who's ever taught elementary or secondary school knows the great importance of seating charts; the arrangement of students in the classroom can make or break the teaching environment. Seating Chart Maker is a simple program that takes all of the hassle out of creating seating charts, even letting users account for troublemakers when making seating decisions. We have trouble imagining why any education wouldn't use this program.

Seating Chart Maker has an intuitive, wizard-style interface that walks users through each step of the process. First, enter your list of students. Next, select any combination of two or … Read more

Staying in the rarified Top 25 ranking on Apple's App Store is a bit of mad science for companies like Rovio, the makers of Angry Birds.

Apple has its own, closely guarded algorithm for determining where an application lands. There are, or course, other forces at work that push apps into popularity--such as news stories about the apps, or the good fortune of an app being featured by Apple. But with a combination of luck, timing, marketing, and savvy development, small companies like Rovio have created their own tool kits for staying on top.

Of course, it helps if you have an addictive game such as Angry Birds, with a nice movie tie-in like the recently released animated film "Rio." But fun, bird-based projectile games aside, there are tricks and strategies for making it onto Apple's list and staying there, such as formulating a constant stream of updates, adjusting the price tag, and giving users a way to spread the word about the app.

"You have to think about these things from the inception of the game," said Phil Larsen, marketing director for Halfbrick Studios. "You need to say 'we're going to make this game, and it's got to have these particular features and longevity.'"

Halfbrick's hit game, Fruit Ninja, which was released a little more than a year ago, vaulted the company into fame, with the game holding its place at, or very near, the top of Apple's charts in multiple countries since its release. So far its 99 cent iPhone versions have brought in more than 6 million downloads from Apple, and big volumes from other platforms like Android and Windows Phone. Halfbrick is currently cooking up a quick-play version for Facebook that's likely to further augment sales on those other platforms, as it has done for developers such as Zynga and PopCap Games.

Fruit Ninja has users swiping their finger across the screen to cut incoming fruit, all the while avoiding bombs that get thrown into the mix. Along with the version for the iPhone, the company also makes an HD version for iPad users, which also sits near the top of Apple's charts.

Larsen, who joined the company to direct its marketing efforts when it started publishing its own titles, says that a big part of the game's success is that it was designed to be easy to pick up and play, and would keep people coming back to it because of that. "Its almost reminiscent of old card games," Larsen said. "It's addictive and people like playing, yet the core gameplay is satisfying." … Read more

Google yesterday formally promoted the six executives that new CEO Larry Page has put in charge of its new business units. Sundar Pichai is now senior vice president of Chrome; Vic Gundotra is SVP of social; Andy Rubin, SVP of mobile; Salar Kamangar, SVP of YouTube and video; Alan Eustace, SVP of search; and Susan Wojcicki, SVP of ads.

A spokesperson for Google confirmed the reorganization and called it a formalization of what had been anticipated since earlier this year when Page started rethinking and taking over Google's business.

DigitalDaily's John Paczkowski had written as much in a … Read more

AT&T and T-Mobile rocked the United States this morning with merger plans that would make T-Mobile USA part of AT&T's empire. (That's assuming the buyout receives regulatory approval; until then, it's business as usual at T-Mobile for now.)

Both T-Mobile and AT&T have a claim to fame in recent smartphone history. AT&T was first to get the Apple iPhone, in an exclusive two-year deal no less, but it was T-Mobile that first got the Android ball rolling with the T-Mobile G1.

CNET will have much more news and analysis … Read more

A new report released by market research group Distimo shows that Apple's now three-month old Mac App Store is off to a slower start than its iOS counterparts in terms of app volume, though is becoming a bellwether for more gaming opportunities on the Mac OS platform.

The report, which tracks data from the App Store on both iOS and on Mac OS, also evaluates Google's Android Market, Microsoft's Windows Phone 7 Marketplace, BlackBerry App World, Nokia Ovi, and Palm's App Catalog for the month of February.

According to Distimo, the Mac App Store reached 2,… Read more