When we say cool accessories, we aren’t really talking about a Smart Cover or a set of headphones. Instead, we are interested in more fascinating accessories which will allow you to do exciting things with your iPad. Here are a few such accessories:

1. Apple Camera Connection Kit - If you were slightly disappointed by the camera quality of your new iPad, this will definitely cheer you up. The Camera Connection Kit contains two 30-pin dongles – one of these can read SD cards while the other works as a USB port. Using these dongles, you can connect your camera to the iPad, transfer photos and view them on a large screen. At the same time, you can also use the USB port to connect your iPad to other devices.

2. Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard Cover - It is a well known fact that  typing long documents with a virtual keyboard can be quite uncomfortable. If you hope to do a lot of typing on your iPad, you must get the Logitech Ultrathin Keyboard. Owing to the presence of magnets, it operates as a stand and holds your iPad still while you type. It is thin and sleek and works efficiently.

3. CCM Capacitive Stylus - The touch screen of an iPad is an absolute delight to work with, isn’t it? With a stylus, you can do so many fascinating thing on an iPad – you can draw, paint, play games which involve these activities etc. Some would say that you can do all this with your hand, but it is impossible to achieve the same degree of precision as with a stylus.

4. Jawbone Jambox – The Jawbone Jambox is a small bluetooth speaker that can act as the perfect audio companion to your iPad. Even as the original audio quality of an iPad is quite impressive, you will need an amplifying device if you are playing games or having a party or watching a movie. The Jawbone Jambox is a portable speaker that can provide the much needed boost to your iPad’s audio output.

Today, we are going to take a look at some of the best cases for the most popular smartphones and tablets.

1. iPhone 5- If you stood outside the Apple store for hours to buy an iPhone 5, you might as well get a decent case for it. After all, you don’t want to see some nasty scratches on your brand new iPhone 5. Since iPhone 5 is the most popular smartphone out there, the variety of cases available is unbelievable.  Otterbox produces several cases for iPhone including the Defender Series and the iPhone 5 Commuter Case. The latter comes with double layers of protection and an adhesive screen guard. The case is sleek yet durable at the same time. It is available in a number of exciting shades like Avon Pink, Aqua Blue and Violet Pop. If you are looking for something more eccentric, you can check out the Icon Bronx which features a cool graphic design. Case Mate remains the most timeless choice with suave black leather cases.

2. Samsung Galaxy S III- If there is any smartphone which can give some serious competition to iPhone 5, it just has to be Samsung Galaxy S III. While looking for cases for Samsung Galaxy S III, you will be pleasantly surprised by the sheer variety of cases ranging from the very basic to extremely elegant. The Incipio Silicrylic cases belong to the former category as they are lined with silicon on the inside with a hard shell exterior. On the other hand, the Candy Shell series by Speck is known for its quirky design and colors.

3. iPad 3- People have gotten quite used to carrying tablets wherever they go. After all, portability is the USP of tablets. When you start carrying them around, you will need a case to safeguard your tablet against any form of damage. When it comes to Apple iPad 3, there is always the Apple Smart Cover. It is efficient, resilient and elegant. However, if you are looking for more options, the Acme Infinite Angle Case is quite similar to Apple Smart Cover as it allows you to align the iPad at many angles. Alternatively, you can check out the Belkin Cinema Folio which follows the flip model and is made of high quality leather.

4. Google Nexus 7- To begin with Google has released an official Nexus 7 case which comes with a grey matte finish and a flap of plastic which covers the screen. Having said that, it can’t hurt to look for more options. Cases produced by i-Blason are built of leather with built in stand feature in both portrait and landscape modes. Focalcase specializes in providing keyboard cases using which you can almost transform your tablet into a full blown laptop.

We are giving you a list of the best laptop alternatives for working on the go:

1. Samsung Galaxy Note- Commonly known as a phablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note remains a class apart in terms of features and performance. Now, if you are looking to do some serious typing, this might not be the ideal laptop alternative for you. However, if you simply want to read something or a watch a movie or browse the internet, the Galaxy Note can be a perfect little replacement for a heavy, bulky laptop. It comes with a 5.3 inch HD screen, a Stylus pen and is powered by Android 2.3 Gingerbread. The large screen coupled with the pen feature ensures that you navigate things smoothly.

2. Apple iPad 3- We could have chosen any other tablet but we are going for the finesse offered by the iOS. Quite clearly, in terms of a laptop alternative, the iPad has more functional value as compared to a smartphone. It comes with a larger screen, a more powerful operating system and a wider range of features. Again, a lot depends on what you are looking to achieve with your laptop alternative. Having said that, the Apple iPad 3 will not disappoint you as long as your expectations are not extremely hard core.

3. Acer Aspire S5- The crucial difference between an ultrabook and a laptop is the weight. An ultrabook is significantly lighter than a laptop even as it offers similar performance. The Acer Aspire S5 is even lighter and thinner than the MacBook Air which is often considered the pioneer of this category. This promising ultrabook is power packed with Intel Core i7 1.9 GHz processor and 4GB memory. The only problem is the slightly high price.

4. Toshiba NB550D- Finally, if you are looking for something even smaller than an ultrabook, a netbook might be ideal for you. The reduced size comes at a price though as the configurations are not comparable to an ultrabook. The Toshiba NB550D comes with a 1 GHz processor and 250 GB hard drive. Normally, netbooks don’t boast of quality video or audio output even as they have a pretty impressive battery life. However, this Toshiba netbook has managed to go past these shortcomings. For a netbook, it delivers quite incredibly.

#1. Asus Eee Pad Transformer Prime

The Eee Pad Transformer Prime was not only the first quad-core tablet to reach the market, it was also the first to be updated to Android 4.0 Ice Cream Sandwich. The quad-core Tegra 3 processor makes the Transformer Prime one of the highest performing tablets available, and at just $499 for the 32GB version, it is amazingly affordable. The Transformer can also be used as a laptop with exceptional battery life thanks to the optional keyboard dock.

#2. Apple iPad 2

As a surprising twist, the iPad 2 is actually more popular than the New iPad. While the iPad 2 isn’t quite as powerful as the New iPad and has a lower resolution screen, it’s still just as capable as the third generation. For the time being, at least, iPad apps won’t even be targeting the latest version’s improved specs anyway. The most appealing feature of the iPad 2 is now its price; the Wi-Fi only version is just $399.

#3. Apple iPad 3^rd Generation

The third generation iPad is Apple’s latest and greatest. It features an improved dual-core processor and a super high-resolution display. As Apple’s newest product, it’s definitely popular, but it just doesn’t offer quite enough of a performance boost of the iPad 2 to justify the need to upgrade for most users, especially since apps that actually take advantage of the iPad’s new-found power are fairly scarce. The iPad 2’s new low price also makes the 3^rd gen a difficult sell.

#4. Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1

The Samsung Galaxy Tab 10.1 was Samsung’s first truly successful Android tablet. It has been out for a while now, and does show its age, though only slightly. Much like the iPad 2, the Galaxy Tab 10.1 is outclassed in terms of performance by newer products, but its reduced price tag helps to keep it an appealing buy. For those who prefer an Android tablet over iOS, the Galaxy Tab is also one of the few that offers a 4G LTE connectivity option.

#5. Sony Tabet S

Sony’s Tablet S is another Android tablet, though it runs a highly modified version. Sony has gone to great lengths to optimize the Tablet S as a true multimedia device. It carries features such as PlayStation Certification for gaming, an IR Blaster to control Sony’s Bravia TV sets, and a solid dual-core Tegra 2 processor. Though it offers some unique features, it is a bit pricier than its competitors, but still affordable.

The Tablet market is still growing very quickly, with new products coming out monthly. Android has certainly shaken things up a bit, but Microsoft is looking to enter the market very shortly with Windows 8. You’ll definitely want to keep an eye on our blog for the latest news, and take a look at our tablet charts to see how the competition is heating up.

As a matter of fact, Samsung actually circulated an e-mail within the press which contains a grid comparing the features of the two recently released tablets. According to the grid, the Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with some features which are absent in the iPad 3. Is this just a shot at advertising by Samsung or is there any substance to this claim? Let’s find out.

Form:

For the longest time, the form and design of the Apple iPad was its biggest USP. People would buy the iPad only because it was a fashion statement to have one. It must have been a great challenge for Samsung to come up with a design which was different from the iPad and could stand up to it at the same time. The good news is that they delivered quite decently. The Galaxy Note is actually a tad bit lighter and thinner than the iPad 3 and looks just as smooth and suave as its competitor. It’s a close call in this department.

Display:

Samsung has always been known for its state-of-art screen technology but somehow that hasn’t translated onto their tablets. The Galaxy Note 10.1 comes with a PLS TFT display with a 1280×800 pixel resolution. This is very mediocre compared to the iPad 3 which boasts of a 1536×2048 pixel resolution which has been made possible by Apple’s famous Retina technology. We have a clear winner when it comes to display- the iPad 3.

Operating System:

This comparison could take hours and we still won’t reach any conclusion. It is the classic battle between the Android and the iOS. The iPad uses the most recent iOS 5.1 as against the Android 4.0 ICS used by the Galaxy Note 10.1. The choice between the two boils down to your personal preferences. The iOS is definitely smoother and more user-friendly; it’s almost a delight to use this software. The Android on the other hand does not have any restrictions (which the iOS does) and is more flexible according to your needs. As has been said earlier, this one depends entirely on what you prefer.

Hardware:

The basic hardware specifications are similar for the two tablets- both run on a 1GHz processor with 1GB of RAM and come in different storage sizes. But, Apple has gone all out on the A5X chipset which comes with a quad core graphics processing unit which promises greater processing speeds. This might just be the edge that the iPad 3 has over the Galaxy Note.

There are many more factors to consider like connectivity, camera quality, battery life etc. but it can be convincingly said that the Galaxy Note 10.1 is giving some close competition to the iPad 3. It is a tough decision to make in some departments like the choice of OS and the form factor but one gets the feeling that the Apple iPad 3 might just emerge as the winner even if by a not-so-big margin.

On The Surface

Not surprisingly, the New iPad looks nearly identical to the iPad 2, and even the original iPad. Compared to the iPad 2, it features the same screen size, 9.7 inches, and the same width and height as well, 7.31 and 9.5 inches respectively. They even come in the same color choices – white or black.

Where they do differ, though, is the thickness. The New iPad is actually slightly thicker than its predecessor, by a full .8mm. It’s enough to notice when comparing the two side-by-side, but the new model also features more tapering along the edge, giving the illusion of a thinner body. That .8mm may not seem like much, but it may render many cases and skins incompatible. If you’re thinking about upgrading, remember that you may need to invest in a new protective case.

The Display

The greatest incentive to upgrading to the New iPad is the new display. With a pixel density of just 264ppi, it doesn’t quite make the 300ppi cutoff Apple previously set for “Retina” displays, though it still calls it one. Still, it has a resolution of 2048×1536, which is currently unmatched by any other tablet. Compared to the iPad 2’s 1024×768 (a mere 132ppi), this is a major improvement. The New iPad will be able to play 1080p content at its native resolution. Text and images will appear much crisper, and fine details will be perceptible where they weren’t on the iPad 2.

The Processor

The New iPad also comes with the A5X processor, a more powerful variant of the A5, found in the iPad 2. This may seem like a compelling reason to upgrade to the New iPad, but it’s actually not.

First, the A5X’ CPU is a dual-core CPU nearly identical to the A5’s. General processing power had not been significantly increased compared to the iPad 2. Where the A5X has seen major improvements is in its GPU.

The A5 uses an SGX543MP2 GPU, while the A5X has an SGX543MP4 GPU (the same GPU found in the PlayStation Vita). In short, the New iPad’s GPU 2 to 4 times more powerful. Ultimately, this results in nearly the same real world performance since the New iPad has 4-times as many pixels as the iPad 2 which requires about 4-times the GPU processing power to run.

If a performance upgrade is what you’re after, you’re better off waiting until next generation.

4G LTE

Apple finally has a 4G product for us, and with LTE, you can expect data speeds over 25Mbps. This works well in tandem with the HD display since HD content requires a fast connection. If you don’t stream much in HD, you won’t notice much of a difference between 4G and 3G, though. Most people prefer the Wi-Fi only version since it’s significantly cheaper anyway.

The Lack of Siri

Many people were looking forward to getting Siri on their tablet, but it looks like Apple has opted to keep Siri restricted to the iPhone 4S, at least for now. The New iPad is just as Siri-less as the iPad 2.

The Price

In order to stay competitive with other tablets, the New iPad actually has a pretty attractive price tag, starting at $499 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version. What this does, though, is push the iPad 2’s price down to $399 – now that’s a bargain. Anyone in the market for a new tablet, should definitely consider the iPad 2.

What it really all comes down to is whether or not you can live with a 1024×768 resolution display. If you can, stick with your iPad 2.

The Display: iPad goes Retina

The iPad’s most lacking feature has always been its low resolution 1024×768 display. In the original iPad, people didn’t mind, but after seeing the Retina display of the iPhone 4, people were expecting a major screen upgrade for the iPad 2 – they were disappointed.

The whole point to Apple’s Retina display is the idea that the pixels are so densely packed, that you cannot see them at a normal viewing distance with the naked eye. Apple controversially claims that this effect is achieved with pixel densities greater than 300ppi. Researchers of the field insist this number is closer to 477ppi; however, the iPhone 4’s display sports 326ppi, and they’re no denying that it is an amazing display.

And now it’s the iPad’s turn to don the retina cap. So far, there is no solid information as to what resolution the iPad 3 will have, but all signs are pointing to 2048×1536. For the 9.7-inch form factor, this would mean a pixel density of only 263ppi, so it’s uncertain if Apple will actually call it a retina display. Still, that resolution is considerably higher than the closest competitor, the Asus Transformer Prime HD which only has a 1920×1080 resolution.

The Processor: Things get faster

The next big upgrade is the processor. The iPad 3 will feature Apple’s A5x processor. Not much is known about the A5x, but reports are hinting that it will be a dual-core processor, much like the A5 found in the iPad 2. Of course, this doesn’t mean it won’t be faster. We’ve seen how Qualcomm’s dual-core Snapdragon S4 can keep up with quad-core devices already.

The A5x is also expected to have a significantly improved graphics core, necessary for driving the high-resolution display. Newer architecture will also help improve performance as well as battery life. It may also have 1GB of RAM, a trend in mobile computing that Apple has yet to catch up with, preferring to stick with 512MB for its previous processors.

Connectivity: iOS finally sees 4G

Up until now, all of Apple’s cellular data devices have been limited to 3G only (including the iPhone 4 and iPhone 4S). The iPad 3 will not only be getting 4G, but full 4G LTE. Rumor has it that an LTE-enabled iPad 3 will be launching on both AT&T and Verizon.

The Software: iOS 5.1 with Siri

Owners of the iPad 2 have felt betrayed by Apple’s refusal to allow Siri voice recognition support. Fortunately, the iPad 3 will be completely Siri enabled. Unfortunately, it’s looking like those with the iPad 2 will have to upgrade if they want Siri at their disposal.

Design and other goodies

According to reports, the iPad 3 will look almost identical to the iPad 2. This comes as little surprise, considering Apple’s usual design trends. What is surprising is the fact that the iPad 3 will be a bit thicker than the iPad 2. This is likely to allow for a larger battery, necessary for powering the higher resolution display.

It’s also expected that the iPad 3 will feature the same 8MP rear camera found in the iPhone 4S. Reports also claim that the front facing camera will be receiving an upgrade to HD status. Whether that means 1080p or 720p is uncertain. Either way, it will allow for Face Time HD video chatting, similar to the new MacBooks.

And that’s the bulk of it. Will you be upgrading to the iPad 3?