As the clock ticks down to Apple’s special media event today, a few last-minute rumors concerning the expected announcements have surfaced. In particular, the “iPad 3” may have more RAM, get LTE service from Verizon, and have a new $99 AppleCare+ option. We may also see Apple adopt a new haptic technology that enables the smooth glass surface of an iPad’s screen to have variable virtual textures.

The iPad 3 is widely expected to feature a 2048 x 1536 pixel “Retina” display, an improved “A5X” dual-core ARM processor, and updated camera hardware in a slightly thicker, but largely similar design as the iPad 2. It has also been rumored that the iPad 3 will come in a version with 4G LTE wireless networking built in.

Based on debugging information for a presumed iPad 3 prototype, ChronicWire has calculated that the next-gen iPad will come equipped with 1GB of RAM. A developer recently told Ars that additional RAM would be required to handle graphics for the extremely high “Retina” resolution based on his tests using 2048 x 1536 pixel artwork, so this information makes a lot of sense to us.

While an LTE-equipped iPad 3 is also expected, it seems certain that wireless service will be available from Verizon on launch. A source for Cult of Mac said that Verizon has been installing LTE networking equipment in Apple Store retail locations across the country for the last few days. Recent information suggested that both Verizon and AT&T would offer LTE service, but the latest information seems to suggest that Verizon might be an exclusive LTE partner to start.

Also, Apple appears to be upgrading its $79 AppleCare extended warranty for the iPad to a $99 AppleCare+ plan, according to MacRumors’ sources. AppleCare+, first offered for the iPhone last October, includes two years of extended regular warranty as well as two incidents of “accidental damage.” For a $49 fee, an iPad damaged by dropping, dunking in the pool, or other means not typically covered under a warranty will be replaced with a refurbished unit. 9to5 Mac said that readers have reported that AppleCare+ has been showing up this week as an option in Apple’s EasyPay app.

Most interesting, we think, is a rumor that Apple may include haptic “texture” technology in the iPad 3. Senseg, the developer of a technology that uses electric fields to selectively generate the sensation of texture on a touchscreen, may have inadvertently hinted that Apple will be using the technology in iOS devices. “We won’t be making any statements until after Apple’s announcement,” a company spokesman told Pocket-lint after asking if the company would be involved in the iPad 3 launch. Haptic feedback could certainly elevate user interaction with an iPad or other iOS device, and would be something you “have to touch” to experience.

Be sure to keep an eye on our live coverage of Apple’s announcements today at 10AM PST (GMT -0800).

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Last-minute rumors: iPad 3 to feature 1GB of RAM, Verizon LTE, AppleCare+

Between Google Books, iBooks, Nook, Kindle, Kobo, Sony… you’d figure the e-book field was crowded enough, right? Well, if you’re specifically in the market for children’s stories, things might look a little less packed. We guess that’s why Scholastic is attempting to enter the fray with Storia, an e-reading app and store designed for kids. As part of a massive digitization effort, the company has launched Storia in beta for Windows and the iPad, alongside a market of over 1,000 titles. By the time it officially launches in the fall Scholastic hopes to have a fully stocked digital library of over 2,000 books loaded with interactive features. You can download the beta now with five free e-books by hitting up the more coverage link.

Scholastic enters the e-book fray with Storia and 1,000 children’s stories originally appeared on Engadget on Wed, 07 Mar 2012 08:44:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Scholastic enters the e-book fray with Storia and 1,000 children’s stories

What do you do with a new operating system? You roll up your shirt sleeves and jump elbow-deep into every part of the OS you can get your hands on. You make manual registry tweaks to open up hidden elements of your new OS; you navigate through all of the different configuration options to see what’s changed, what’s new, and what you can personalize to your liking; you devote hours to playing around with all the different features. More »

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Windows 8: 20 Tips and Tricks [Windows 8 Tips]

This graph from the New York Times shows how much tuition has gone up, way more than other costs. They offer several reasons, but since they are focusing mainly on state schools, public funding cutbacks appears to explain a lot of it. Link -via TYWKIWDBI

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Tuition Costs Compared to Other Prices

On the eve of the release of Ivy Bridge, Intel is finally bringing its server chips up to speed by introducing the Sandy Bridge-based E5-2600 family of CPUs. The company claims its latest processors outperform the previous generation of Xeons by up to 80 percent in raw speed, while improving per-watt performance by 50 percent. The eight-core chips support up to 768GB of RAM, PCI Express 3.0, Hyper-Threading, Turbo Boost, Intel Virtualization — basically the whole Chipzilla portfolio of tricks. A grand total of 17 different Xeons will be available, ranging in price from $198 to $2,050. For complete details hit up the more coverage link and check out the PR after the break.

Continue reading Intel intros Xeon E5-2600 family, finally ushers servers into the Sandy Bridge era

Intel intros Xeon E5-2600 family, finally ushers servers into the Sandy Bridge era originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 14:47:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Intel intros Xeon E5-2600 family, finally ushers servers into the Sandy Bridge era

Windows is great. The way Windows installs applications, however, is an out-of-date mess, adding local dependencies and unnecessary cruft to your system. In this day and age, there’s no reason to stick with Windows’ antediluvian default. What’s the alternative? Using portable apps, you can install an app once, have all of the necessary files in one place, and even sync its settings across different machines with Dropbox. Handy, right? Here’s how it works, and why you should do it. More »

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Kick Windows Installers to the Curb; Go Portable for a Considerably More Awesome Windows Experience [Portable Apps]

Microsoft’s Windows 8 Consumer Preview is called that for a reason—there isn’t a lot on the surface that looks very compelling about the new operating system to business users. The revelation that Microsoft would not support domains or other administrative features on Windows 8 for ARM devices dumped cold water on many enterprise customers’ hopes for a single, unified way to manage users and systems across desktop and mobile devices.

But Windows 8 does offer a “mobile” alternative that may at least pique business and tech support users’ curiosity: Windows to Go, an installation of Windows 8 that boots from a USB thumb drive. In theory, Windows to Go could give administrators a way of creating a verified, locked-down image of the Windows 8 OS that can be given to wandering users, temporary off-site contractors, or telecommuters to allow them to connect to the corporate network with confidence from their own (or someone else’s) computer.

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Windows on a stick: hands-on with Windows 8’s “Windows to Go”

According to the FBI, you’re looking at Sabu, the head of LulzSec, and the de facto King of Anonymous—easily the most notorious and influential hacker alive today. One thing: he just turned in his people to the police. More »

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LulzSec Leader Betrays All of Anonymous [Hackers]

The first beta of Ubuntu 12.04, codenamed Precise Pangolin, was made available today. The 12.04 release, which is the next major version of the popular Linux distribution, will officially launch in April. It’s a long-term support release, which means that it will receive updates and support for five years.

Precise will introduce some noteworthy improvements to Unity, Ubuntu’s user interface shell. The biggest enhancement to Unity in 12.04 is the HUD, a new keyboard-driven user interface for accessing menu items. Version 12.04 will also bring better hardware support, such as improved power management for certain hardware configurations, and updated software.

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Ubuntu founder touts UI innovation in 12.04 beta release

Square continues to add functionality to its mobile payment platform, and the latest addition is its new Register app for iPad. The refresh brings a sleeker interface and greater Card Case integration along with analytics to break down sales by transaction type and chronology to track your business’ performance. Additionally, you can set up custom permissions to limit employee access, create customer loyalty programs and there’s an improved inventory system feature as well. Naturally, it still relies on Square’s trusty card reader for swiping cards and charges 2.75 percent per transaction using Visa, MasterCard, Discover or American Express. Small businessmen, your payment chariot awaits, so check out a video of the new Square Register in action after the break.

Continue reading Square’s new Register app turns the iPad into a full-on point of sale terminal

Square’s new Register app turns the iPad into a full-on point of sale terminal originally appeared on Engadget on Tue, 06 Mar 2012 06:21:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Square’s new Register app turns the iPad into a full-on point of sale terminal