The imminent iPad 3 launch: A guide to the rumors

In need of a tablet? You might want to wait until next month, when Apple's long-awaited updated gadget is expected to debut

Apple fans aren't just excited about the iPad 3 — some are borderline clinically insane with anticipation over the updated gadget, which could become available to consumers in just a few weeks. Still, many tech analysts note that the next-generation iPad, while a significant improvement over the iPad 2, is not expected to be as big of an upgrade over its predecessor as the iPad 2 was over the original iPad. Here's what you should know:

First off: When is the iPad 3 coming out?
No one knows for sure, says John Paczkowski at All Things D. But my sources are betting that the announcement event will be held the first week in March, with the devices going on sale a week or so later. That would make sense, says MG Siegler at Parislemon. Last year, Apple synced the iPad 2's launch with the SXSW film, music, and technology conference, which starts March 9 this year. Let's see if history repeats itself.

SEE MORE: Can iPads replace textbooks?

What will the new iPad look like?
The new gadget will be "essentially the same size and shape as the iPad 2," an Apple employee tells The New York Times, but with a "truly amazing screen." Indeed, the iPad 3's resolution is expected to be twice as good as its predecessor's, says Joshua Topolsky at The Verge. 

What about the gadget's innards?
The iPad 3 will boast a "significantly more powerful" graphics processor, says Topolsky. But sadly, despite expectations, we're hearing that its central processor, a dual-core chip in the iPad 2, won't be upgraded to a quad-core chip — which could have handled "incredible gaming and HD movie processing heft."

SEE MORE: 4 bizarre ways Apple guards its secrets

How about the camera?
The iPad 2's atrocious front-facing camera will likely get an HD boost, says Wagner. "This would make a lot of sense," especially since people increasingly use tablets for video chatting. 

And Siri?
You bet. Apple is already "expected to deploy Siri in its rumored Apple TV release," says Jonny Evans at Computerworld. In all likelihood, "we'll also see the assistant help you dance with your iPad 3."

SEE MORE: Tim Cook's $375 million year: By the numbers

Sources: All Things D, Computerworld, Gizmodo, NY Times, Parislemon, The Verge

SEE MORE: The Steve Jobs FBI dossier: 5 surprises

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The imminent iPad 3 launch: A guide to the rumors

In need of a tablet? You might want to wait until next month, when Apple's long-awaited updated gadget is expected to debut

Apple fans aren't just excited about the iPad 3 — some are borderline clinically insane with anticipation over the updated gadget, which could become available to consumers in just a few weeks. Still, many tech analysts note that the next-generation iPad, while a significant improvement over the iPad 2, is not expected to be as big of an upgrade over its predecessor as the iPad 2 was over the original iPad. Here's what you should know:

First off: When is the iPad 3 coming out?
No one knows for sure, says John Paczkowski at All Things D. But my sources are betting that the announcement event will be held the first week in March, with the devices going on sale a week or so later. That would make sense, says MG Siegler at Parislemon. Last year, Apple synced the iPad 2's launch with the SXSW film, music, and technology conference, which starts March 9 this year. Let's see if history repeats itself.

SEE MORE: Can iPads replace textbooks?

What will the new iPad look like?
The new gadget will be "essentially the same size and shape as the iPad 2," an Apple employee tells The New York Times, but with a "truly amazing screen." Indeed, the iPad 3's resolution is expected to be twice as good as its predecessor's, says Joshua Topolsky at The Verge. 

What about the gadget's innards?
The iPad 3 will boast a "significantly more powerful" graphics processor, says Topolsky. But sadly, despite expectations, we're hearing that its central processor, a dual-core chip in the iPad 2, won't be upgraded to a quad-core chip — which could have handled "incredible gaming and HD movie processing heft."

SEE MORE: 4 bizarre ways Apple guards its secrets

How about the camera?
The iPad 2's atrocious front-facing camera will likely get an HD boost, says Wagner. "This would make a lot of sense," especially since people increasingly use tablets for video chatting. 

And Siri?
You bet. Apple is already "expected to deploy Siri in its rumored Apple TV release," says Jonny Evans at Computerworld. In all likelihood, "we'll also see the assistant help you dance with your iPad 3."

SEE MORE: Tim Cook's $375 million year: By the numbers

Sources: All Things D, Computerworld, Gizmodo, NY Times, Parislemon, The Verge

SEE MORE: The Steve Jobs FBI dossier: 5 surprises

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Prop 8 overturned: A guide to the landmark gay marriage decision

A federal court rules that California's ban on same-sex marriage is unconstitutional, potentially clearing the way for the case to be heard by the Supreme Court

A federal appeals court ruled Tuesday that California's ban on gay marriage is unconstitutional. The U.S. Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that limited marriage in California to one man and one woman, violated the equal protection rights of gays and lesbians. Now, a forthcoming appeal could pave the way for the U.S. Supreme Court to rule on gay marriage as early as next year. Here's what you should know about the "landmark" decision:

Remind me: What exactly is Proposition 8?
In 2008, a California state court ruled that an existing ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional, allowing same-sex couples to legally marry. Almost immediately, groups that opposed gay marriage began circulating petitions that would eventually put Proposition 8 on that fall's election day ballot. Prop. 8, a proposed amendment to the California Constitution decreeing that marriage was an institution reserved for one man and one woman, was supported that November by 52 percent of California voters. In the brief window between the court ruling and Prop 8's ballot success, 18,000 same-sex couples legally married in California.

SEE MORE: Does marriage equality make gay men healthier?

Why is the issue in court again?
Judge Vaughn R. Walker, a federal judge in San Francisco, struck down Prop. 8 in 2010, declaring the amendment unconstitutional because it violated the equal protection rights of gay couples. Opponents of same-sex marriage appealed the decision, says Howard Mintz at the San Jose Mercury News, on the grounds that "there is a state interest in preserving the traditional definition of marriage, particularly the importance of procreation in heterosexual marriage." Tuesday's ruling was the result of that appeal.

What exactly did the appeals court rule?
A three-judge panel ruled 2-1 to uphold Walker's decision. "Proposition 8 served no purpose, and had no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California," the court said. The Constitution "requires that there be at least a legitimate reason for the passage of a law that treats different classes of people differently. There was no such reason that Proposition 8 could have been enacted."

Will this affect other states?
Not necessarily. Tuesday's decision is not intended to be applied broadly, the court said, and was crafted to apply only to California. The peculiar circumstances of what happened in California — "a right to same-sex marriage withdrawn by a vote of the public" — is what ultimately led to the ruling, says Jeffrey Toobin at CNN, and should have no effect on other states currently weighing the issue.

Can same-sex couples get married in California now?
Not yet. The appeals court said that gay marriages cannot resume until Prop. 8's supporters have the opportunity to appeal to a larger panel of the Ninth Circuit. If and when the appeal is filed, which it inevitably will be, says Peter Henderson and Dan Levine at Reuters, gay marriage will be kept on hold "pending future proceedings." Gay marriage opponents have another option, too, says Adam Nagourney at The New York Times. They can try to take the issue directly to the U.S. Supreme Court. However, says Toobin, the Supreme Court might opt out of weighing in. And even if the nation's highest court does hear the case, it likely won't be until after the election.

How would the Supreme Court rule?
It's anyone's guess. Some gay activists are apprehensive about the case going all the way to the Supreme Court, says Nagourney. They're "fearful that conservative justices could... codify a ban against same-sex marriage." In the end, the Roberts Court will probably be divided, says Maura Dolan at the Los Angeles Times, "and many legal scholars believe Justice Anthony Kennedy will be the deciding vote." Kennedy is a Republican-appointed justice, says Henderson and Levine, but he has written several important pro-gay rights decisions — though he "has not explicitly endorsed gay marriage."

Sources: AP, CNN, Huff. Post, LA Times, NY Times, San Jose Mercury News, Reuters

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