The Apple iPhone 5 takes on the Samsung Galaxy S3, but who comes out on top in this epic clash of the titans? We square up the specs to find out

Whether you love the sound of the new iPhone 5, or massively underwhelmed by the latest Apple smartphone instalment, it's probably going to sell in its millions and have fanboys queuing outside Apple Stores across the world.

Fear not Android lovers, for the Samsung Galaxy S3 is an Android smartphone goliath that should prove worthy competition for the iPhone 5. The question is, does the S3 actually boast better features than the latest Apple blower? It's time for a smartphone spec showdown...

Back when it first shipped in 2010, the original iPad was considered a miracle of modern technology. As with most consumer electronic devices, though, the minute its successor -- the iPad 2 -- was out the door, the original iPad was shunned for the shinier, faster models. But as Wired Enterprise blogger Robert McMillan reports today, original iPads are not only keeping their value, but they're really quite the bargain for a big screen tablet.

Are you ready for the mini?

At an event in San Jose this October, Apple unveiled the long-speculated iPad mini. Much like the name suggests, the device is a shrunken-down version of Apple’s 9.7-inch iPad.

The smaller tablet features a 7.9-inch display and weighs 0.68 pounds (compared to the classic iPad’s 1.44 pounds). Apple’s latest gadget also includes a dual-core A5 chip and can be purchased with 16GB, 32GB or 64GBs of storage space. The price of the tablet starts at $329. (For more specs, check out the company's website.)

We know Apple has a love affair with thin. The iPhone 5 is the thinnest iPhone ever. The MacBook Aircould very well be used to slice bread. And the svelte MacBook Pro with Retina Display shows even premium notebook offerings can stand to shed a few pounds.

Still, when Apple unveiled the new 21.5- and 27-inch iMacs at its media event last week, it was shocking just how much thinner Apple had managed to make them. They seemed almost surgically precise, the result not just of remarkably slim displays but also an advanced welding technology borrowed from the aerospace industry.

The Digital Millennium Copyright makes it illegal to "circumvent" digital rights management schemes. But when Congress passed the DMCA in 1998, it gave the Librarian of Congress the power to grant exemptions. The latest batch of exemptions, which will be in force for three years, were announcedon Thursday.
Between now and late 2015, there will be five categories of circumvention that will be allowed under the Librarian's rules, one fewer than the current batch of exemptions, which was announced in July 2010. The new exemptions take effect October 28.edit.

There's nothing quite like a good prank, and what prank is better than convincing innocent people that they are about to meet their bitter, messy end? That's the path LG went down for this ad, where they use IPS displays to fool people—however briefly—that an elevator's floor is falling out from beneath them.

Presumably these are all random, innocent people, but it's an ad so you can be skeptical if you like. Regardless of what it may or may not say about how lifelike LG's IPS displays are, it's a pretty good trick and it's fun to see people yelp and grab for the railing. I'm just glad I never set foot in there. That's a particularly nagging fear of mine and I'm pretty sure I would wet myself on the spot. Who knows how those displays would fare then. 

Microsoft is launching its new operating system, Windows 8, this week.

Windows 8 is a radical departure for anyone who has used Windows in the past two decades. The new interface is designed primarily for touch-screens. And based on some anecdotal responses from those who have tried it — professional reviewers and normal people alike — it's not exactly love at first sight.

Apple's latest iPhone, iPod touch and iPod nano ushered in a new era, at least for accessory manufacturers: they ditched the old 30-pin Dock Connector in favor of the new Lightning standard. With a durable, double-sided, all-digital design, it might be a vast improvement in the long run. For now, it's a bit of a mess, as Apple's attempt to restrict manufacturing and charge higher fees is causing delays before iPhone 5 accessories roll out.

If you’ve been using the internet long enough, chances are you’ve come across the Blendtec YouTube channel. For those unfamiliar, the Blendtec YouTube channel hosts a series of hilarious videos called, “Will It Blend?” in which a variety of items, electronic and non-electronic, are stuffed into the blender which then tears it apart. In fact one video even had them blending the Guitar Hero guitar controller. Well the folks at Blendtec are back and this time they have decided to pit both the Samsung Galaxy S3 and the iPhone 5 against each other to see which item can withstand the blending better. Funnily enough, this also speaks to the survey wereported on yesterday where it was suggested that most accidental iPhone damage occurs in the kitchen, which we assume is where most blenders are kept (thanks to our reader Lizardwithhat for pointing that out!).

It should be noted that this is hardly conclusive evidence that speaks to the durability of either device, but if you just want to see phones get blended, then be sure to check it out in the video above! Interestingly it seems that the Samsung Galaxy S3 did take noticeably longer than the iPhone 5 before it started to break apart completely. We have to warn you that it is extremely cringe-worthy to see such expensive items get blended, but hey it might be considered entertainment for some.