∞ Hands on with the iPad 2

Lighter, thinner, and way faster – that’s the iPad 2 in a nutshell. Following Apple’s iPad 2 announcement, the company invited the assembled throng to actually get their hands on one ahead of the March 11th release to the general … Continued

∞ Apple's iPad 2 event live update

Apple will unveil the iPad 2 on Wednesday at 10:00 am PT at a special event in San Francisco, Calif. The Loop is at the event and will bring you live coverage as it happens.

∞ Macworld benchmarks new MacBook Pros

Apple’s new MacBook Pros are already out in the world, and Macworld Labs director James Galbraith has posted some benchmarks showing how they actually do. “In testing conducted by Macworld Lab, the laptops released Thursday turned in Speedmark scores between … Continued

∞ Opinion: Where parenting fails, the government will surely succeed

In the latest story illustrating the government’s insistence at sticking its nose where it doesn’t belong, Industrygamers reports that the Federal Trade Commission (FTC) is “investgating” Apple’s iOS in-app purchases to see if they pass muster with the Feds.

∞ QuarkXPress 9 focuses on digital publishing

Quark on Wednesday introduced QuarkXPress 9, a major upgrade to its flagship desktop publishing software for Mac OS X and Windows. It’s priced at $799; upgrades from QuarkXPress 7 and 8 cost $299. QuarkXPress 9 ships in April.

∞ Square lowers credit card swipe fee

Square is the service that enables anyone to accept credit card payments using iPad, iPhone or Android smartphone. The company announced Tuesday that they are reducing their credit card swipe fee, eliminating a 15 cent per fee transaction.

∞ Valve to "simplify" Source SDK

The Source Software Development Kit (SDK) is Valve’s technology that’s been used to bring unforgettable games like Half-Life 2, Portal and Left 4 Dead — available for Mac, PC and other platforms, thanks to Valve’s introduction of Steam to the … Continued

∞ Motorola iPad competitor Xoom ships Feb. 24

Verizon Wireless and Motorola Mobility announced Tuesday that Motorola’s Xoom tablet will ship through Verizon Wireless beginning Feb. 24, 2011. The device will cost $800 unsubsidized, though Verizon Wireless customers can get the tablet for $600 if they agree to … Continued

∞ MacTech Boot Camps coming to Dallas, Boston, LA, Chicago

MacTech has added four more locations to its traveling Boot Camps – Boston, Chicago, Dallas, and Los Angeles. The one-day events cater to consultants and technicians that cater specifically to home users and small businesses.

∞ New video game museum project seeks Kickstarter funds

The Museum of Art and Digital Entertainment (The MADE) has kicked off a fundraising campaign through Kickstarter.com. We at The Loop are bringing it to readers’ attention because The Loop’s executive editor, Peter Cohen, is on The MADE’s advisory board … Continued

∞ Apple releases iWeb 3.0.3

Apple has posted an update to iWeb bringing the new version to 3.0.3. It’s available through the Software Update system preference or from the Web site.