The iPad mini looked like a bit of a gamble for Apple at first, but you don’t get to Cupertino’s dominant position over the tablet market without taking some risks, do you? And this one seems to have paid off rather nicely, as a second-gen 7.9-incher is allegedly in the works already. Meanwhile, if you’re one of those folks living in the shadows and scouring the Internet for the best deals on the most awesome gadgets, you should know that an assortment of refurbished iPad minis are again available via Apple’s U.S. Store. The tabs are not exactly dirt-cheap, but they offer...

By Adrian Diaconescu Success is very transient in the ever-changing tech world, so it’s obvious every gadget sold and penny cashed in counts. You can be on top now and then hit rock bottom the next moment, which is exactly what has happened recently with Nokia and BlackBerry. But if there’s one landmark of stability in today’s tech décor, that’s definitely Apple. The Cupertino-based giant has been on the rise for years—especially with its various iPad models—and there’s no sign of that status quo changing anytime soon. Or is there? There’s been a lot of buzz recently about how Samsung’s Galaxy S3 and other...

For all the hoopla about the iPad mini in the weeks before its launch, I have seen precious little hands-on since the little beast actually arrived on the market. I finally got my hands on a mini this weekend ... and here are my thoughts: 1. Form Factor I have mixed feelings about the form factor. It's only 40 grams heavier than my Google Nexus tablet, but it feels a lot lighter. However, it is much wider. The Nexus is a little chunkier and taller; the mini is slimmer but longer across. I do like how light it feels in my hands—and holding...