RUMOR: iPad 3 to debut in March

A new version of Apple's iPad is set to go on sale within the coming months, unnamed insiders have told Bloomberg (via Game Informer). Sources say that mass-production on the iPad 3 began with the new year, with Chinese factories operating 24/7 to churn out enough Pads to meet a March launch for the device.

Above: New features include a spiffy black bar to let onlookers know you roll like an early-adopting, big-money baller

The new iPad, which will be Apple's first big hardware launch since the death of Steve Jobs, is said to boast an HD screen capable of displaying resolutions exceeding those of some so-called HDTV sets. It'll also contain a quad-core processor to speed up app-switching, improve video playback, and – in deference to the fact that you're not reading this in Forbes – increase the device's already-impressive potential as a games medium.

It'll also be the first Apple device to support the LTE (3GPP Long-Term Evolution) wireless standard, allowing improved network performance when carriers such as AT&T and Verizon activate the LTE networks currently in development. Apple hasn't confirmed or denied the device's March launch date.