Here are your Apple rumors and AAPL news items for Tuesday, April 3, 2012:

Apple-Brand Gaming Controllers? Anandtech recently revealed an Apple Inc. (NASDAQ:AAPL) project for a game controller that serves its iOS mobile operating system via a wireless connection. Whether that gizmo ever sees the light of day remains questionable, but it’s undeniable that smartphones and tablets like the iPad are coming pretty close to equaling the experience of current game consoles like the Microsoft (NASDAQ:MSFT) Xbox or Sony (NYSE:SNE) PlayStation. The idea of Apple coming out with its own personal add on seems admittedly suspect, since several third party manufacturers are already working on similar devices. The iControlPad is actually already shipping, for instance. Why would Apple want to crowd into the periphery space? Of course Apple has applied for a patent on a design that includes physical buttons for gamers, so who knows.

Shocker! Consumers Like the iPad: From the department of “no kidding,” Apple’s new iPad recently topped Consumer Reports’ ratings. This despite some blogosphere rants about its tendency to heat up excessively, the tablet got top marks. The magazine classified the iPad as “recommended” on Monday, and pointed to a sharp camera and great 4G connectivity (at least what was tested on Verizon (NYSE:VZ) by the techies in a regional market). It also had high praise for the battery life.

Updated Facebook App: For all you Facebook junkies who spend more time interacting with friends on the iPhone than having a real life conversation, there’s more reason to get lost in cyberspace. Facebook has updated its popular iPad app with support for the new iPad’s Retina display – a must for high-quality images of the grandkids. The app also fixes like the ability to sign out of chat so “friends” don’t bother you. After all, digital relationships sometimes are worth ignoring, too.