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Research In Motion's PlayBook tablet computer launched in almost empty stores on Tuesday, unable to whip up the frenzy that accompanies the debut of anything from rival Apple.

Research In Motion's PlayBook went on sale in the United States and Canada on Tuesday in a launch the company hopes will win customers away from Apple's dominant iPad tablet computer.

Research In Motion's PlayBook, the long-awaited response to Apple's iPad, went on sale in the United States and Canada on Tuesday in a launch RIM desperately hopes will win the hearts and minds of consumers.

The global tablet computer market, born last year with Apple's iPad, will grow to a $49-billion business by 2015, research firm Strategy Analytics said.

Apple has raised a legal hatchet against its long-term supplier Samsung Electronics Co. charging it of replicating its iPad, iPhone and iPod designs in Galaxy series of Android devices.

Samsung's Galaxy S 4G, Nexus S, Epic 4G, and Galaxy Tab are all cited in the suit.

Apple Inc may provide the first signs this week that the Japanese crisis is pressuring margins, clouding what should otherwise be another dazzling second quarter for the makers of the iPad and iPhone.

According to Concord Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo, the next iPhone will feature many of the same design considerations as current Apple products.

Toys 'R Us will be selling the iPad 2 in 31 states and Puerto Rico starting on Sunday, in a limited roll-out to only some of its stores.

A leaked photo of a Toys R Us employee training guide is the proverbial raft for those at sea hunting around for the Apple iPad 2! Tech websites say Toys R Us will offer the latest iPad in its stores on Sunday.

A new lawsuit is alleging that Apple's iPhone and iPad does not do enough to prevent unauthorized purchases of applications by children, allowing the company to bank millions of dollars in ill-gotten gains.

The White iPhone 4 will cease to play hide-and-seek as Apple will start selling the elusive device by the end of this month. Its launch remained as elusive as a white tiger since June 2010.

PlayBook carries RIM's hopes that the device will vault it over Android and Apple's iPad, to position it as a tablet of choice. However, RIM's answer to Apple's iPad and Motorola Xoom and hundreds of other tablets comes in bit late.

Apple has updated iOS 4.3.2 to fix Comodo SSL vulnerability that occurred in March.

Research In Motion's new Playbook received mixed reviews ahead of launch on April 19.

The PlayBook tablet computer, Research In Motion's pocket-sized challenger to the iPad, feels rushed into service and limited by its reliance on a BlackBerry smartphone, according to early reviews before it hits North American shelves on Tuesday.

The unfinished feel of the BlackBerry Playbook is shared with many of its competitors.

California-based Ubermedia, which has made several apps for the Twitter platform, is said to be working on a competitor to the micro blogging website, which recently rejected two of its apps.

Ubermedia, which has made several apps for Twitter, is said to be planning a competitor to the micro blogging website.

The BlackBerry PlayBook is to hit stores by April 19. While the new gadget is smaller than most other tablets, especially the iPad 2, it might just remain a good attempt from RIM to get into the tablet war. But the question remains whether it will be a capable player in the market.

Apple could be planning to launch the white version of iPhone 4 to fill a gap in its product launch cycle and thereby mitigate customer fatigue over waiting for the new iPhone 5. The next generation iPhone would have made it to the stores in June this year; but the latest news is that Apple may not launch iPhone 5 until September this year, when the company starts its forthcoming financial year.