Apple roundup: iPad mini; Samsung engineer hired; stock rises

Busy day for Apple news and, as usual, rumors.

First up, All Things D is reporting that Apple will introduce the iPad mini on Oct. 23. Reporters and bloggers had expected a media invitation this week for a launch event Oct. 17, but it never materialized; that fueled speculation that the company was facing supply constraints and had to delay the release.

All Things D speculated that the announcement will be held at Apple’s Town Hall Auditorium in Cupertino, Calif.

Separately, Apple has hired away a top engineer from rival Samsung. The Wall Street Journal said Jim Mergard, a notable chip engineer who had worked at Advanced Micro Devices for 16 years before his stint with Samsung, has joined Apple.

The bitter competitors -- which remain locked in a sweeping patent infringement fight in several countries, including the United States -- are both bolstering their chip design teams. Hiring Mergard probably is an effort by Apple to further strengthen the team that develops mobile processors in a move to differentiate its devices, the Journal said.

The latest Apple news didn’t result in much of a stock bump, though. Shares closed up $1.61, or less than 1%, at $629.71. They have fallen significantly over the last few weeks, sliding 10% from $700.09 on Sept. 21, the day the iPhone 5 was released.

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