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After making headlines in 2010 by yanking its recommendation of the iPhone 4, the advocacy group Consumer Reports is now picking Android smartphones as a better buy than the iconic Apple handset. A review pointing to larger screens and faster 4G networks seems to run counter to record-breaking sales of the iPhone 4S.

Remember HP’s fiasco with the Slate, then the TouchPad? You’d think the company would run from the tablet market like a Silicon Valley investor with his hair on fire — but you’d be wrong.

Depending on where you stand, a recent mobile advertising study was good news for Apple or Android. While Apple’s iPad and iPhone were the most connected devices for advertising, Google’s Android was the leading smartphone operating system, according to the report.

Android use in business gained ground during the latest quarter as some workers sat on the sidelines, waiting for Apple to announce a new iPhone. As a result, Android phones in business saw a slight uptick with iPhone use falling a near equal amount. The old adage seems to apply: Snooze, you lose.

Samsung is looking to avoid any more bruising court battles with Apple over patent infringement. That desire is so strong, the CEO of the South Korean company confirms its Galaxy Nexus smartphone is designed to “avoid everything we can.”