State regulators today approved this state's largest solar farm as iPhone maker Apple said it would double the size of the project.

The N.C. Utilities Commission gave the go-ahead for the Cupertino, Calif.-based technology company to start generating operating the 20-megawatt solar farm at its huge data complex in Maiden. The center supports the company’s iCloud online data storage system and its SIRI voice-recognition software.

Apple said today it would expand the project by adding 20 more megawatts on 100 acres on the site in Catawba County for a total of 40 megawatts. The state's biggest solar farms to date have maxed out at 5 megawatts.

Apple's solar modules will maximize solar energy by aligning with the sun's rays throughout the day. The array will track the sun as it moves across the sky by rotating on a north-south axis.

The solar project will be built in phases and is expected to start generating power in October and completed by December.

Apple is also planning a 4.8-megawatt fuel cell facility, the nation's largest, at the site. That request is still pending with the Utilities Commission.

Rumors of an iPhone with a larger screen are nothing new, but a recent report from the Wall Street Journal says to expect it this year.

The WSJ cites multiple unnamed sources in its report saying that Apple will release an iPhone featuring a display measuring "at least 4-inches diagonally."

Other reports have said the screen size will remain at 3.5-inches. Apple could and likely will continue to offer a 3.5-inch version. The smaller size is popular with many who find larger phones too much too handle.

On the other hand, many users have flocked to larger Android smartphones where 4-inches plus screens are fairly standard, and flagship-phone displays approach 5-inches.

Can screen-size alone cut into the Android market share?

Apple is expected to refresh its MacBook Pro line soon with a new ultra-thin design and retina display. It's easy to assume the new MacBook Pro would take cues from Apple's featherweight MacBook Air, but a 9to5mac.com report claims that is not to be.

While the new case is said to be much thinner in no small part to the omission of an optical drive, it lacks the Air's airfoil taper. It is expected to have USB 3 along with Thunderbolt connectivity.

Are all of us ready for life without an internal optical drive? I can't recall the last time I used mine. Every time I look at it I see visions of an SSD. If not, there are external options.

A prototype may have been caught in the wild. A GeekBench reference to a MacBookPro9,1 has appeared bearing a 2.7GHz Ivy Bridge quad-core processor,  8GB of RAM, and a build of the upcoming OS X Mountain Lion.

So here's the coolest thing about Feist: She's met Elmo. They hung out when she appeared on "Sesame Street" in the wake of that hugely popular commercial. So when I got her on the phone recently, of course I had to ask her about that.

"Elmo is Kevin and it's pretty phenomenal to see a man be able to inhabit a small red cloth child," Feist said. "So I would have to say that Elmo's quite genuine, born of something honest. There's a documentary called 'Being Elmo' that's all about that, how he was invented. It's pretty amazing."

Feist plays in Raleigh next week. For details on that, plus some talk about her very fine new album, see the interview in Friday's paper.

If it is true, blame the end of the 17-inch MacBook Pro on weak sales.

According to Mac Rumors, research analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has a decent track record on Apple product predictions, and Kuo estimates just 50,000 17-inch models account for the 3.1 million notebooks sold by Apple in the first quarter of 2012.

Is the death of Apple's super-sized laptop being greatly exaggerated? The emergence of affordable large displays users can tap at home or at the office makes it is harder to justify the cost of the big lug. And the weight?

Nearly every report on when the next iPhone will arrive has pointed to a fall release, but a recent comment from a Foxconn employee marks a summer arrival.

Redmond Pie says during a Japanese-language TV show, the World Business Satellite, a Foxconn recruiter was recorded suggesting the next iPhone could come as early as June. When asked if Foxconn's search for thousands of more workers was due to the demand for the next generation iPhone, he said, "That’s right. It will come out in June."

Is Apple amping up its product cycle to stem the ever active tide of Android phones form Motorola, Samsung and company?

If true, could this be a mild upgrade to add LTE connectivity, or be an all new design?

Ashton Kutcher will take on the role of Apple cofounder Steve Jobs. April Fool's Day has passed. This is no joke.

Variety.com says the biographic film will be directed by Joshua Michael Stern perhaps best known for "Swing Vote."

Understandably when the story broke it was treated with a dose of April Fool's salt. Author Jeff Sneider confirmed the report is true via Twitter. Variety considered holding the story because of April Fool's Day, but had concerns of being scooped.
 

Don't get too excited over this design concept, but it does bridge a gap between a tablet and laptop that many consumers desire. It is certainly not a new idea. Several computer makers have rolled out similar hybrids, but none have really got any traction. Should Apple build something like it?

Long lines are expected at Apple Stores, but shoppers may be able to find a new iPad with much less hassle at one of several alternative retailers. A reconnaissance call before storming your local big box might save time and help shoppers navigate around disappointment.

We've got a list of 8 retailers selling the iPad.

How good is the new iPad? Is it worth replacing an iPad 2?

How does it compare to Android tablets?

See what others have to say in this review roundup.