So much for a slow weekend for tech news! On Saturday, The New York Times published a lengthy exposé on why Apple manufactures its products in China -- and it’s not just about cheap labor. Then, on Sunday, BlackBerry maker Research in Motion dropped the bombshell most of us have been expecting: After two decades, its co-CEOs are stepping down in favor of a virtual unknown who thus far appears to be towing the company line.

It’s simply amazing how all over the place rumors of Apple’s next handset have become -- what’s news one morning often gets snuffed out later that day with a completely contradictory rumor. Such is the case with the iPhone 5, which may miss its fall debut completely due to production delays.

We hope you’re not too sick of iPhone 5 rumors, because here comes another one! The unannounced handset seems to be all anyone wants to talk about right now, with even the otherwise lackluster news that the handset is now being manufactured starting to make headlines.

It goes without saying that we live in challenging economic times, although you wouldn’t know it to look at companies like Apple Inc., who have been lifted ever higher with each passing financial report. A new report claims that smartphone makers have started cutting back on fourth quarter chipset orders over economic concerns -- and that includes the mighty Apple as well.