Apple iPad 2 parts squeezed by Japan quake: report

Several key components in the new version of Apples popular iPad tablet PC come from Japan, including the battery and the flash memory used to store music and video on the device, according to research firm IHS iSuppli.The iPad 2 battery, which IHS iSuppli said is unusually thin, is manufactured by Apple Japan, an Apple subsidiary, and likely requires advanced manufacturing technologies that reside in the country.Production at many Japanese manufacturing facilities has come to a halt following Fridays 9.0 earthquake and subsequent tsunami.The report said that some of these components, particularly the flash and DRAM memory chips, could be procured from alternative suppliers.