Hasta La Gadget!

According to Bloomberg, Apple is reportedly planning to overhaul iTunes, citing an overhauling that would mark as one of the biggest ever to the store since it’s debut in 2003. Sources with direct knowledge of Apple’s plans allegedly told the publication that the changes will be announced before this year ends. Sources added that Apple will integrate its iCloud service with iTunes so that users can seamlessly access and manage their music, videos, and apps across different iOS devices.

Apple could also launch new features on iTunes for music sharing. Apple’s iTune Store has over 28 million songs and approximately 45,000 movies. Moreover, the App Store, which is also available via iTunes, now offers  more than 650,000 applications. Bloomberg notes that iTunes is critical to Apple’s success, generating nearly $1.9 billion last quarter.

“Any changes will have implications for the media industry, because the store is the gateway for millions of iPhone, iPad, iPod and Mac users to buy music, movies and television shows,” the publication wrote. While this is interesting, today’s rumor is still bleak. One source reportedly said that the planned further integration with iCloud is geared to improve how people will manage their files. Apple declined to comment about the report.

By Ubergizmo. Related articles: Apple hit with patent infringement lawsuit over iTunes, iCloud and App Store, Man sues Apple for $5 million for allegedly double-billing him in iTunes,

While other twins were hitting the Internet to point out that not all twins are like the ones featured on “Twintervention” (Wed., 10 p.m. ET on TLC), it nevertheless proved a fascinating look into the codependency that some twins come to feel for one another.

Particularly fascinating were Lisa and Debbie, who were so connected that they both lived together, with Debbie’s husband. He was understanding — enabling? — of their “twinship,” as Debbie dubbed it.

But Debbie was worried when Lisa announced that she was going to move out and in with her own boyfriend, Joe. Debbie thinks Joe has been trying to put a wedge between the sisters since he and Lisa started dating, and she may well have been right. Either that, or Lisa just couldn’t take being apart from her sister.

Read More…
More on TV Replay

THOUSAND OAKS, Calif. (AP) — Don Grady, who was one of television’s most beloved big brothers as Robbie Douglas on the long-running 1960s hit “My Three Sons,” died Wednesday. He was 68.

His “My Three Sons” co-star Barry Livingston, who played youngest brother Ernie, confirmed Grady’s death to The Associated Press. Livingston said Grady had been suffering from cancer and receiving hospice care at his home in Thousand Oaks, Calif. But the exact cause and place of death were not immediately clear.

“It’s the oldest cliche in the world when TV brothers start referring to each other like biological brothers, but he was the oldest, and somebody I looked up to and learned from a great deal about life,” Livingston said.

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More on Obituaries

It’s time for the inevitable comparison between the newest tablet on the market, the Google Nexus 7, and the dominant device in this category: the iPad. While the comparison might seem like the obvious thing to do, it’s much more sensible to compare to the Amazon Kindle Fire – and before we get too deep into the specifications on either end, you need to know: Google is in a much better position right this second than Amazon. While the Kindle Fire has been a relatively giant force on the market over this past holiday season, it’s had nothing on the iPad’s market share in the entire time it’s been on the market. As for the Nexus 7, you’ve got a beast that’s ready and willing to be a competitor for both tablets.

The Google Nexus 7 is a tiny little beast of a tablet – where the iPad is an iconic piece of machinery, the Nexus 7 seems to be a bit more of a solid set of elements pounded together with a hammer into a device that’s meant to be perfect for the several specific purposes it was made for. The Nexus 7 was made to be a device with which you download and consume media from the Google Play store – movies, television shows, music, books, and magazines – and of course games. The iPad, on the other hand, was made to be a companion for you in all situations where the iPhone is too small.

As far as a simple specs comparison, you’ve go the following. And keep in mind we’re using the 3rd Generation iPad, aka the Retina Display iPad:
Screen Size: iPad 9.7-inch 2048 x 1536 pixel LED-backlit IPS (264 ppi) / Nexus 7 7-inch 1280 x 800 pixel LED-backlit IPS (216 ppi)
Device Size: 7.31″ x 9.5″ x 0.37″ / 7.8″ x 4.72″ x 0.41″
Processor: Apple A5X / NVIDIA Tegra 3
Cameras: 5-megapixel iSight camera, VGA front-facing camera / 1.2-megapixel front-facing camera
Connectivity: AT&T and Verizon 4G LTE, Wi-fi / Wi-fi only (at the moment)
Internal Storage Size: 16, 32, 64GB / 8GB, 16GB
Battery: 11666 mAh / 4325 mAh
Media: iTunes Store / Google Play Store
Color Options: White, Black / White/Black combo, Black

Additional elements:
iPad: Bluetooth 4.0, 30-pin dock connector port, accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, GPS, AirPlay mirroring to Apple TV.

Nexus 7: Bluetooth 4.0, MicroUSB connector port, accelerometer, magnetometer, ambient light sensor, gyroscope, GPS, NFC.

Both of these devices have been pushed as heroes for their respective pusher’s app and media stores, and both devices are certainly going to get their fair share of 3rd party accessory support (if they haven’t already.) The Nexus 7 has the bonus – if you can call it that – of having several hardware/software companies with vested interests in its success: Google, ASUS, and NVIDIA. The iPad, on the other hand, has quite a few 3rd party supporters, with developers aiming apps at the one device specifically as well as Apple’s attention squared solely upon it for its software.

The price is going to be a giant factor for you if you plan on heading out to purchase a tablet today. The starting price of the Nexus 7 is just $199 while the iPad, in the iteration we’re looking at here and above, starts at $499. The iPad is an iPad, and there’s no replacement for that. The Nexus 7, also, is the only Google tablet in the position that it’s in at the moment as well with the backing of three companies in the way you’re seeing this week, and having a real push from Google (as heard in the keynote today – see our I/O 2012 portal for more) for hacking.

Have a peek at the photos and video above and below for a bit more hands-on action and be sure to let us know what you think of this battle asap! Also hit up our Android portal and Apple portal for the most awesome portal battle of all!

Google Nexus 7 vs the iPad is written by Chris Burns & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Yesterday, to much excitement, the New York Times announced that it would be rolling out a fully Chinese version of its website. That’s a huge deal, considering China’s rather rigid media censorship. Accompanying the Chinese Times, a Weibo account—China’s Twitter—was also set up. More »