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No longer the iPad3 but the “new” iPad features no enhancement more prominent than its Retina display with improved resolution (2048 × 1536 and 264 pixels per inch vs 1024 x 768 resolution and 132 pixels per inch).

Charles Annis, VP Manufacturing Research for DisplaySearch explains how Apple quadrupled the amount of pixels on iPad2’s display.: a pixel-design technique called Super High Aperture.

The WW tablet market is seeing "stronger-than-expected" growth across many regions IDC reports, with global Q4 2011 shipments reaching 28.2M units with 155% Y-o-Y growth. Shipments for the whole year total 68.7M.

As a result, IDC revises 2012 shipments forecasts from 87.7M to 106.1M units.

According to the analyst, Android makes strong gains in Q4 2011, thanks to low-cost offerings such as the Amazon Kindle Fire--- Android market share reaches 44.6%, up from 32.3% in Q3. On the other hand, the iOS grip on the market slips from 61.6% in Q3 to 54.7% for Q4 2011.

Best Buy names former Starbucks Chief Information Officer Stephen Gillett as executive VP and head of digital and global business services, starting from March 14.

The announcement arrives days after the departure of Geek Squad founder Robert Stephens from the retailer.

Gillett will be overseeing BestBuy.com and other e-commerce efforts, such as the integration of online sales with struggling brick and mortar outlets. His CV includes experience with Yahoo, CNet Networks and Sun Microsystems, as well as Starbucks-- where he headed the launch of Starbucks Digital Networks, an in-store digital network created in partnership with Yahoo.

He is also well known on the virtual World of Warcraft universe, where he is described as "one of the most innovative Guild Masters."

Gillett says Best Buy "has a unique and compelling advantage because it touches customers in so many different ways" when it comes to integrating stores, digital, mobile and social media within a multichannel offering.

Go Best Buy Names Former Starbucks Executive Stephen Gillett EVP and President, Best Buy Digital and Global Business Services

ARM reveals what it claims is the most energy efficient microprocessor yet-- the Cortex-MO+, a 32-bit processor the company says uses around 30% of the power a basic 8-bit processor consumes.

It is the successor to the Cortex-MO, the chip carrying the smallest ARM architecture. The MO+ retains the architecture, yet slashes power consumptions to 9µA/MHz on a low-cost 90nm LP process.

ARM says the MO+ chip can find a variety of applications-- not necessarily mobile devices, but home appliances, lighting and power systems and even medical monitoring devices, before pushing towards bringing about the so-called "Internet of Things."

NXP Semiconductors and Freescale already have licenses for the design.

Go ARM Announces ARM Cortex-MO+ Processor