When Apple came out with a smaller iPad last year, the original version suddenly seemed heavy and bulky. The iPad Mini fit more easily in pockets and bags, and it felt more comfortable in my hands. It was also cheaper than the full-size version.

This Friday's release of the new iPad Air, along with a price increase for a new Mini model, narrows those distinctions.

Twitter said Tuesday it overhauled its user display to make the messaging service "more visual," as it ramps up competition against photo-sharing services like Instagram.

"So many of the great moments you share on Twitter are made even better with photos or with videos from Vine," Twitter's Michael Sippey said in a blog post.

A new installment of blockbuster "Assassin's Creed" videogame launched on Tuesday, putting players in the boots of a bold pirate and tapping into mobile devices to expand play.

"Assassin's Creed IV Black Flag" is set in the "gritty and exotic" Golden Age of Pirates with a main character who is a descendant in a line of assassins given starring roles as sequels in the popular franchise shift from one generation to the next.

Chinese computer maker Lenovo presented a new tablet device including a hinge-cum-handle allowing it to tilt and stand, a feature it billed as a "game-changing" innovation.

Hollywood actor Ashton Kutcher unveiled the Yoga Tablet at a Los Angeles event which had been shrouded in mystery, with teaser videos and social media hints tagged #betterway.

The Galaxy Round created some buzz in tech circles when Samsung announced it earlier this month, but no one in the downtown Seoul cafe where I played with the curved screen smartphone asked me about it or even gave a curious glance.

That is likely because the curve is so subtle it is not apparent without a close look.

Australia's new government on Tuesday said Chinese telecoms giant Huawei will remain shut out of bidding to build Australia's national broadband network on advice from security agencies.

The previous Labor government last year banned Huawei from helping build infrastructure for the National Broadband Network (NBN) on "strong advice" from intelligence operatives. Huawei criticized the decision and denied it posed a security risk.

Samsung courted "app" makers at its first developers conference, stepping out of Google's shadow when it comes to software powering mobile devices.

About 1,300 people attending the event, which continues through Tuesday at the Westin St. Francis Hotel in San Francisco, delved into techniques for making applications that work across an array of Samsung devices.

The senior administration official closest to the implementation of the health care law's malfunctioning enrollment website will answer questions from Congress at the start of a pivotal week.

Medicare Chief Marilyn Tavenner will be questioned Tuesday by the House Ways and Means Committee not only on what went wrong with HealthCare.gov, but also whether lawmakers can trust Obama administration promises to have things running efficiently by the end of November.

Switzerland will soon roll out a new technology to better shield communications within the government from prying eyes, President Ueli Maurer said in an interview published Sunday.

"We will introduce a new technology in the coming days or weeks, (which) will improve security in the government," Maurer told the Schweiz am Sonntag weekly.

LG Electronics unveiled Monday a curved-screen smartphone, taking on rival Samsung in a niche market seen as a first step on the road to fully flexible products.

Despite its name, the "G-Flex" does not bend, but uses flexible OLED (organic light-emitting diode) to produce a curved six-inch display.