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Politicians and privacy experts demanded answers of Google and Apple Friday following the discovery that smartphone software from the tech giants regularly transmits information about a user's whereabouts back to the companies.

Verizon reported on Thursday that it activated 2.2 million iPhones during its first fiscal quarter for 2011. The cell service provider revealed the information as part of its quarterly earnings report, a day after Apple and AT&T shared their quarterly earnings data.

So, it might be a while before Apple fans can get their hands on the iPhone 5. But the elusive white iPhone 4 might finally be on the way.

Apple will remain firmly in control of the tablet market through 2015, according to market research by Gartner, which also shows Google’s Android will take the baton from Nokia’s Symbian to dominate the smartphone market through the same time period. Experts agree, though, that it will be strong ecosystems, allowing for tablets and smartphones to deliver a combined experience, which will take the day, possibly weakening Research in Motion’s capacity to deliver in a new environment.

It doesn't take much to get the tech world talking about the iPhone. The internet has swirled with speculation in recent weeks about a release date for Apple's iPhone 5, and even whether the companywill update its iconic smartphone at all this year.

Nokia is suing Apple in the United States for allegedly infringing patents in "virtually all" of its mobile phones, portable music players, tablets and computers, the Finnish company said Tuesday.

Let's cut to the chase -- the iPad 2 that Apple just released pulls further ahead in the battle with the only real competitor on the market: the Android OS 3.0 "Honeycomb" Xoom tablet from Motorola Mobility. In our previous comparison of the first-gen iPad and the Xoom, the Xoom showed its mettle as a serious contender, beating the iPad in areas such as its inclusion of cameras and ability to mirror its video display.

The iPad 2 went on sale in the U.S. on March 11, and already the device is selling out at Apple, AT&T, Verizon and various retail stores around the country.

Thousands of people thronged Apple stores on both U.S. coasts as the iPad 2 went on sale on Friday, signaling a strong appetite for a device that dominates the fledgling market it created.

Apple Inc.'s updated version of its iPad tablet computer will be available in stores Friday afternoon. But those who can't wait to say they own the gadget were able to beat the crowds by ordering one online before the sun rises....