If you’re wondering when you might be able to get your eyes on some actual iPad 3 news, AllThingsD is reporting that the ever-present and all-knowing “sources” say Apple will announce the unit the first week in March. It is assumed the event will be held in San Francisco at the Yerba Buena Center for the Arts, one of Apple’s preferred locations. The all-knowing sources haven’t provided a release date as of yet, but if the iPad 3 follows the schedule of the iPad 2, it could release shortly after the introductory announcement by only a week or so. The device is said to be somewhat similar to the upgrade found between the iPhone 4 and the iPhone 4S: A similar form factor, but faster and more powerful bits stuffed inside. We won’t have to wait too much longer for some hard news of the new iPad, so sit tight, and try to figure out what you’re going to do with that iPad 2 you only bought a year ago.

We’ve been waiting with bated breath for the forthcoming LEGO Lord of the Rings sets for quite some time now, but it looks as if they’ve already been spotted in the wild. Apparently this image above was taken in the VIP area of LEGO’s booth at the Nuremberg Toy Fair and (allegedly) posted to this Slovenian forum. But are they the real deal?

When the Wii U was first announced, most of the press was focused on the tablet-style controller. What people realized after the hype surrounding the controller died down, was that the specs of the actual console — you know, the thing that makes the games run — were a mystery. The only official bite of information we know about the console is that it will be Nintendo’s first HD console, and after playing Uncharted 3 then diving straight into the newest Zelda, Skyward Sword, my eyes can say that Nintendo finally adopting HD will be a welcomed treat. Now, however, “developers who have access to the console” have been leaked the specs, reports Wii U Daily.

Thanks to a fairly steady stream of leaks, the public already has a fairly good idea of what is going to be baked into Windows 8, the forthcoming operating system from Microsoft. However, it was a mystery when users outside the company would be able to get their hands on it. A new report now claims that it could be sooner than you think, with a public beta possibly beginning early next year.

According to AllThingsD, Facebook is allegedly at work with HTC to create their own mobile device based off the Android OS. If their source is to be believed, the device is code-named “Buffy,” presumably to slay the vampires of Apple and Google. Though rumors of a Facebook have been circulating for over a year, this news is the first firm evidence of such a device.

Despite Facebook’s success, it’s fair to ask why they would want to tempt fate and launch their own device.

The biggest surprise during Apple’s 4S announcement wasn’t what was onstage, but what wasn’t. For weeks before hand, a steady stream of leaks and near-constant press coverage all foretold the release of totally redesigned iPhone 5. When one didn’t materialize, some were left puzzled, others disappointed. But now, Business Insider claims that not only was there an iPhone 5, but that it was scrapped in favor of the 4S just months before the scheduled announcement.

According to their source, which Business Insider says has provided reliable information in the past, the phone was dramatically different than the one that launched.

Though the iPhone 4S is enjoying meteoric sales, some were disappointed that the latest Apple smartphone wasn’t a more radical upgrade. However, a recent note from Rodman & Renshaw analyst Ashok Kumar could give insight as to why the 4S seems so modest. According to Kumar, the final project of the now deceased Apple visionary and founder Steve Jobs is an as-yet unannounced next generation iPhone. Could this be the long-prophesied iPhone 5?

CNet quotes Kumar as saying that the next iPhone “was the last project that Steve Jobs was intimately involved with from concept to final design. For that reason [...] this product will establish the high water mark for iPhone volumes.” CNet goes on to quote other, unnamed sources who confirm Kumar’s claims and suggest that Jobs was barely involved with the development of the 4S and instead poured all his efforts into this fabled phone which is rumored to be radically redesigned.

Kumar is also quoted as predicting that the next iPhone will be slimmer with a larger screen and could debut at Apple’s 2012 WWDC. We’ll have to wait and see if this mere rumor-mongering, or Steve Jobs’ triumphant finale.

Take a look inside the iOS file system and you’ll find a reference to “Apple TV 3,1.” This is somewhat odd, since the current version of Apple’s media streaming box is “2,1″ and could herald the arrival an all new version of the device.

The folks over at 9to5Mac believe that this is evidence the device is currently being tested and think that a new version would be a major upgrade to the project famously referred to as a hobby. They anticipate, though they have no evidence, the addition of an A5 dual-core chip, a boost to the RAM, and 1080p playback. The possibility of iOS running on the device is particularly tantalizing since that would give more users access to their apps and games in a new context, though Apple’s experience with the Pippin might be a sign that this is a foolhardy hope.

Despite previous upgrades, and the rise of streaming devices like the Roku, consumers have remained pretty cool about Apple’s offering. So perhaps the most pertinent question about an Apple TV upgrade will be if anyone will care should one materialize.

The Wall Street Journal is reporting that Sony is looking to buyout their partnership with Ericsson in an attempt to obtain complete control of the Sony Ericsson brand. The buyout would end a 50-50 joint venture between Sony and Ericsson that began a decade ago in 2001. The companies have been in discussions about the buyout for years, but sources say the deal is actually nearing completion. The deal would allow Sony to more effectively integrate the phones into their overall mobile product brand, which most prominently includes tablets and portal video game devices.

Ever since smart phones rose to prominence, Sony Ericsson has been lagging behind the rest of the mobile market. However, Sony is actually quite successful in parts of the mobile market; for instance, they’re the only company to ever produce a successful portable gaming device that was able to directly compete with and survive Nintendo’s portable gaming devices. It’ll be interesting to see what Sony can do once they fully take the reins of their mobile phone division. Hopefully something better than the mediocre Xperia Play.

Disappointed that Apple announced a somewhat incremental update to the iPhone yesterday with the 4S, rather than dropping a whole new number on us with the iPhone 5? Well, analysts are speculating that the reason why we all collectively sighed at the iPhone 4S yesterday instead of immediately left work to camp outside of our nearest iPhone for the iPhone 5 is because the iPhone 5 won’t drop until LTE technology is ready for compact smartphones.

With the penchant for sleek design Apple has had ever since they ditched the old multicolored clamshell MacBooks, also known as the Legally BlondeBook, coupled with the tiny printed circuit board sitting pretty inside the iPhone 4, the current state of the iPhone wouldn’t allow enough room for an extra chip to enable LTE, without shrinking the size of other integral components within the phone, like the battery.