iPad

DIY Weekend: iPad hangs tough in 'ManHandle'

The first thing I did after buying my iPad was pick up a new bag for it--a U.S. military surplus over-the-shoulder-style map job. The iPad fits perfectly in the back pocket, which is reinforced and has enough room for most things I'd need throughout the day: a charger, sunglasses, flask, and that one girl's phone number scrawled on a casino receipt.

I thought this bag solution fit me well--stylish, masculine, and cheap, just like me. But then I got these pictures of the ManHandle, built by one Todd Bernhard, a Rochester, N.Y., iPhone app developer, and … Read more

CNET TV Apple Byte: Tethering your iPhone coming soon

CNET TV's Brian Tong discusses the latest in Apple news, rumors, and random factoids. This week, developers uncover parameters for tethering in iPhone OS 4.0, Apple refreshes the MacBook line, and a tip for returning Apps to the iTunes Music Store.

Be sure to check us out on Twitter and the CNET Mac forums. Do you have questions, issues, or stories you would like to see on MacFixIt? Email Us.

Three free remote-access apps for iPhones

The App Store is home to numerous apps that let you connect to a desktop PC from afar. Granted, navigating Windows on a screen as comparatively tiny as the iPhone's is not a lot of fun, but it works better than you'd expect.

Indeed, I've used remote-access (or "RA") software many times for simple tasks like e-mailing a file, peeking at a document, and even shutting down the PC (when I'm too lazy to walk down a flight of stairs).

My RA app of choice? LogMeIn Ignition, which works even better on the iPad … Read more

Screenwriting on the iPad: Scripts Pro hands-on

A handful of weeks ago, before I bought an iPad, I wondered whether Apple's slim little go-anywhere tablet could help redefine the casual editing process for writers everywhere.

Well, I've been a little disappointed on that front.

I was dreaming of the iPad becoming a way of editing a paperless "printout" in a far better manner than either a laptop or physically printed pages could normally allow. Yes, I was an idealist. Perhaps foolish. I was excited about news of an upcoming iPad app from veteran screenwriting-software maker Final Draft. To date, it hasn't materialized.

I read scripts via PDF readers such as GoodReader, but as far as writing and editing go, I've had problems. A noble effort by some clever outsiders created a script-formatting template for use with Apple's Pages, but it's essentially a preformatted document you can erase and write over.

Scripts Pro, which became available in the App Store a week ago, is technically what I was looking for.

This isn't a new app: it's been out for the iPhone/iPod Touch for a while. Scripts Pro is a simplified script-writing app that accepts both Final Draft .FDX and .CELTX documents or .TXT files, and can create new documents in any of those formats as well. The latest update turned the app into a hybrid with iPad-optimized graphics and layout, all for a downright cheap price of $5.99. The real question is, how does the app stack up as a tool?… Read more

iPad owners like screen, dislike lack of Flash

Survey results released Thursday show that iPad owners overall are satisfied with the device, but there is some discontent with its lack of support for the Adobe Flash player.

A survey by ChangeWave Research showed that the top dislike reported by new owners of the Apple tablet was "lack of Adobe Flash" (11 percent), followed by "Internet connectivity issues" (9 percent), and "poor screen visibility/keeping it clean" (9 percent).

As to what features respondents like about the iPad, 21 percent said "screen size and quality," followed by "ease of use" at 15 percent, the "overall size and weight" at 12 percent, and "portability" at 10 percent.

… Read more

Apple allows cash sales for iPad

When Apple first started selling the iPad, it didn't allow consumers to buy its tablet with cash. The idea, the reasoning went, was that forcing people to buy the iPad with a debit card or credit card would help ensure that no one violated Apple's two-iPads-per-person rule.

But all that has changed. Recently a California woman named Diane Campbell went to an Apple store in the hopes of buying an iPad with greenbacks. She was turned away by the store's employees, who cited the no-cash policy. After she contacted KGO, an ABC television affiliate in California, the … Read more

Digital City 82: New MacBook updates; plus RIP Ronnie James Dio

We join forces with Internet superstar Molly Wood to discuss some new MacBook updates (which were officially announced the day after we taped this broadcast). Other topics include the late, great Ronnie James Dio; the upcoming Evo uberphone; and we take a look at some more vintage laptops.

This week's video game giveaway is a copy of the cult favorite League of Legends for the PC; if you're lazy, you can fast-forward to the end of the show for details on how to get hooked up with that, or even drop by our Digital City Facebook fan page. … Read more

Five killer apps for your docked iPad

Does your iPad pull a lot of desk duty? Does it adorn your kitchen counter or even your nightstand? Do you routinely leave it on a dock or charger? If so, you should put that sucker to good use--even when you're not using it. After all, a big, beautiful screen is a terrible thing to waste.

As you learned yesterday, the iPad already knows how to function as a photo frame--and a damn fine one at that. But not everyone wants to look at photos all day. Maybe you'd prefer stock updates? Tweets? How about fish? Here are five apps to keep a docked iPad interesting:

Bloomberg: Want to keep tabs on the stock market? It's hard to imagine a lovelier window on Wall Street than Bloomberg for iPad. It delivers news, equity indices, a personalized stock portfolio, currency exchange rates, and plenty more, all wrapped in a gorgeous interface--and updated at regular intervals. Best of all, it's a freebie!

Chirp Frame: Twitter addicts, this one's for you. The app serves up tweets as they arrive, effectively turning your iPad into a big, beautiful Twitter frame. You can choose from one of three slick backgrounds, swiping as desired to read earlier tweets. Of course, when you're feeling the need to send out your own status update, all it takes is a tap of the screen to tweet (or reply). Chirp Frame costs 99 cents.

iQuarium HD: Real fish are kind of a pain, don't you think? You have to feed them, clean the tank, yell at people to stop tapping the glass, and all that. iQuarium provides all the joys of fish-tank ownership with none of the hassles (or expense--it's a mere $1.99). Actually, the app is as much a Tamagotchi-style game as it is a virtual fish tank, as you have to feed your fish daily--eventually earning "fish points" to decorate your tank with accessories, backgrounds, more fish, etc. If you want more instant gratification, check out Marine Aquarium (also $1.99).… Read more

The 404 583: Where we're switching back to Hotmail (podcast)

We've always noticed something a little off about our dear Wilson G. Tang, but today's episode finally kicks the door open on the severity of his addiction to technology. Our frightening discovery begins with a CNN article that exposes the Apple iPad and other brightly lit devices as the reason why some people have trouble sleeping at night. The hypothesis belongs to Oakland resident J.D. Moyer, who set out to prove that using devices with backlit displays in bed can actually reset a person's internal sleep clock and even trick your brain into thinking that it'… Read more