Tech in Asia reports on an article [ Google translation ] from Chinese information technology website DoNews claiming that Apple is preparing to bring support for the Chinese language to Siri on the iPhone 4S next month. According to the report, Apple is also preparing to launch support for Japanese and Russian, but the initial Chinese support will only include Mandarin, with Cantonese and other dialects being left out for the time being. The Chinese tech site DoNews claims to have heard from an Apple engineer who’s working on the Chinese-language version of Siri, the clever voice assistant on the iPhone 4S

Not a day goes by without the Chinese coming up with some kind of bizarro iPad clone . According to the Wall Street Journal, an iPad clone called the "Red Pad" endorsing Mao Tse-Tung's "Little Red Book" of Communism briefly surfaced in China before getting removed.

Indian business newspaper Mint reports ( via iPhone Hacks ) that Apple may be preparing to open retail stores in India, dramatically increasing the company's presence in the country. Apple Inc. may open its own shops following the Indian government allowing full ownership of single-brand retail stores by foreign companies, according to a senior official of the department of industrial policy and promotion (DIPP).

Apple's education-focused media event isn't until Thursday, but Japanese blog Macotakara reports that Apple is already making plans for an early February event to introduce the iPad 3 ahead of an early March launch. The event is said to potentially also feature iOS 5.1, which is currently in developer testing. According to asian supplier and a source in United States, Apple seems to prepare to hold Special Event in early February

Reports coming in from M.I.C gadget and AppleInsider claim that Apple's Chinese launch of the iPhone 4S is not going particularly smoothly, with violence breaking out ahead of the opening at Apple's Sanlitun retail store in Beijing. According to reports, the violence has resulted in Apple delaying the planned early opening of the store by at least an hour, with the company potentially having canceled today's launch there entirely

Japanese blog Macotakara reports that Apple's manufacturing partners Foxconn and Pegatron have begun production on the next-generation iPad, with Foxconn once again bearing approximately 85% of the load. According to the report, the initial production batch is targeted for shipment in early March, in line with a number of rumors regarding the iPad 3 launch

Apple today announced that it will be launching the iPhone 4S in 22 new countries on Friday, January 13, with China being the featured addition for this round of debuts. “Customer response to our products in China has been off the charts,” said Tim Cook, Apple’s CEO

Chinese manufacturer Foxconn is growing again, with recent reports stating that the company is doubling the size of one of its production lines in order to keep up with production for current and future Apple products.

Digitimes once again revives talk of a 7.85-Inch iPad. According to the site, Apple is likely to launch a 7.85-inch iPad prior to 4th quarter of 2012 in addition to a new iPad at the end of the 1st quarter. Apple reportedly is looking to take on the increasing number of competitors such as Android's 7-inch Kindle Fire: However, in order to cope with increasing market competition including the 7-inch Kindle Fire from Amazon and the launch of large-size smartphones from handset vendors, Apple has been persuaded into the development of 7.85-inch iPads, the sources indicated