Rumors and reports, hype and excitement, two sides to two different coins, but ones always in evidence when it comes to new Apple products and refreshes of the old. As we get closer and closer to the usually scheduled release announcements, both coins get hot hot hot on both sides and all around. While this stuff can take over the news, there's still plenty going on out there, just in case, among all the noise, you missed it.

Features:

- The Ultimate Wi-Fi Printer Shootout - Now that we're all jonesin for some print from our iOS devices, WiFi devices are starting to get big attention. But which wirelessly capable device gives you the most satisfaction when you watch it paper jam from across the room? We've got a shootout you'll want to check out before you go shopping.

- Office App Showdown: Round Two: Spreadsheets - The continuing saga of how office productivity software stacks up on your iOS device (let's just pretend we're not pretty much only talking about the iPad; it hurts the iPhone's feelings). Gotta make a spreadsheet on the fly. Pretty much any of these guys got your back. Gotta make some charts to go with it? Uh oh.



How-Tos:

- How to Touch Up Photos of Your Friends - The digital revolution in photography brought in one super-nice feature with it, and that's the ability to touch up photos yourself without paying for some pro to get rid of redeye or a few stray zits. If you're a little leery of doing it yourself and you've got a photo that's great, except for some spinach in your teeth, read this article and be embarrassed no more.

- How to Share Your iPhoto Library From Networked Storage - Now you've got your pictures all tidied up, wouldn't it be nice to free up a TON of room on your computer by moving these babies to a network-attached storage? We have to warn you, it's not for the faint of heart, and you're going to want a good strong network, but this is how we (camera) roll.


Reviews:

- Infinity Blade Review - We can't improve on the opening paragraphs of this article, so we'll just repeat them here: There's an old saying: "If your father was horribly impaled by the God King while trying to rid the world of evil, you should probably follow in his footsteps and try to kill the God King as well."

It's not a popular saying.

Or good advice.

- LEGO Harry Potter: Years 1-4, iOS Review - LEGO and Harry Potter together? Two great tastes that taste great together. Well, greatish. Would you believe at least good? There's plenty of fun and tons of hours can be spent working through puzzles and the like, but we'd want a little less repetition and a little more magic.



News:

Well, it wouldn't be the year's first quarter (or second, third, or fourth for that matter) without the news being chockfull of Apple rumors, so let's get to those first...to begin with, we've all heard the iPhone nano and the MobileMe free for everyone song and dance before, right? But this time it's a little different; this time, the scoop's not from some tech blog, but from the Wall Street Journal; as Sherlock Holmes once said "hmmm"...of course, the New York Times was ready with the smackdown, but with a tidbit about a cheaper iPhone, just not a smaller one...in the totally less likely and straight from completely crazy Rumorland we have reports that a new iPhone model might feature a slide out keyboard; we also hear it's powered by the sun and shoots rainbows at your enemies...considerably more credible is the idea that the newest iPhone might increase screen size to compete with larger screened Android phones; after all, Steve hates buttons and getting rid of that dead space at the bottom would add some room...and, of course, once we get the rumors, we have to get the fake pictures that support that nonsense...but let's not give all the rumor love to the iOS action, after all, you'd like 3G action on your MacBook Air right, and it does fit the name, so if Apple's doing what we think they're doing...but all the really good news is where the mobile market is concerned, including Apple's voracious appetite for touch screens (60% -- yowza!)...it's not quite a rumor, more like a coming soon, but reputedly Opera for the iPad is ready to drop once it gets the nod...also not a rumor? Jetstar will be hooking up their flyers with rental iPads for your entertainment or office productivity fun...

What kind of apps might you want to rock on these rental iPads? We don't know what they'll be offering, but if you've got your own, here's a few apps and app news that caught our eye...for starters, no shocker here, but the Mobile Gaming Awards had a sweep, and you know it was iOS apps that stole the show...because if you want your games, you want an iPhone or iPad, like the classic Wild Frontier, now rocking it mobile style...or how about Volcano Escape the result of Doodle Jump and Contra making sweet sweet app store love...or if a little flux capacitor is more your style, there's Back to the Future Episode 1 where you can hit it Marty McFly style. Just don't kiss your mom...and be sure to note the article in which we ask, does a big character head equal a dumb gamer...hopefully your characters can fit a helmet on those melons, because you're going to need something to protect your brainpan in Legendary Wars...but all this action/adventure/sword & sorcery stuff gives way when it's time to blast off into space, and Galaxy on Fire 2 is where it's at...finally, and absolutely the most cool, check it out. Everyone loves Mario and here's how you can rock not only SNES games on your iPad, but -- and here is the kicker supreme -- control them with your Wii. Aww yeah.