iPad

Concert pianist plays iPad onstage

One of the world's foremost concert pianists has taken the iPad to a place it has surely never been. Yes, away from the thighs, where the device so often rests.

A few days ago, wandering onto the stage to perform his first encore at Davies Symphony Hall in San Francisco, China's Lang Lang, one of the world's most dazzling piano players, proved the product's astounding versatility. The audience was clearly surprised he emerged clutching an iPad. They could be sure he wasn't going to use it to take a shot of the audience. But perhaps … Read more

The 404 566: Where Jeff gets number 9 (podcast)

The subject of Jeff's bad cell phone luck has come up several times on The 404 Podcast already, but we're coming back to it once again because he just received his NINTH Palm Pre from the good folks at Sprint, who are now offering a "trade nine, get one free frozen yogurt" stamp card in his honor.

We'd love to promise that this will be his last, but judging from the laundry list of parts that broke on the other eight units, it's not looking good. The best we can hope for is that number nine won't spontaneously combust before Jeff can cash in for a HTC Evo 4G...that is, unless Lenovo announces a ThinkPalm phone first.

Big thanks to Cheryl, aka The Official 404 Grandmother, for recommending this inspiring story about a 99-year-old woman in Oregon who's rediscovered the joys of reading and writing poetry thanks to the zoom feature on her brand new Apple iPad. We've been vocalizing our frustration at the technological ineptitude of our elders for the past two weeks now, so it's about time someone sets it straight!

Virginia Campbell was born in 1910 and a tough fight with glaucoma recently left her struggling to read fine print until her family bought her an iPad. As a result, pinch-to-zoom is her new best friend, even inspiring her to write a short poem that we're proud to read over the air. Campbell had this to say to a reporter: "You're never too old to take advantage of something that will help you." +3!

We've also got a semi-SFW story about a kind-hearted film star that saved a man from a 20-year prison sentence in Puerto Rico, but you'll have to download today's episode to get the full story, because we want to address complaints about the iTunes feed.

We do our best to put the show on iTunes as soon as possible, but if you can't wait to hear an episode, you can always visit this blog and click the "play" button down below to hear the audio podcast. Or, if you're especially Web savvy, you can right click on "download," copy the URL and edit the numbers to the current date. Thanks for being patient with us, and have a great weekend everyone!

EPISODE 566 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

5 killer iPhone apps for foodies

Believe it or not, my stomach is looking forward to the arrival of my iPad (hurry up, UPS!) just as much as my brain. That's because I can envision the tablet on my kitchen counter (sitting upright in a dirt-cheap stand, of course), serving up page after page of delicious recipes, each with tantalizing photos and large, easy-to-read text.

In the meantime, I'm making due with my iPhone (or my wife's iPod Touch--whatever's closer). The print may be a little small, but the cooking/recipe apps are first-rate. Here's a list of my five favorites:… Read more

30 best iPad games

Editors' note: This post was updated March 26, 2013, with five new games.

Wondering which games to buy for your iPad? Well, we've taken our best shot at putting together a list of top titles that we feel meet the criteria for a good iPad game.

And just what does make a good iPad game? We debated it for a while and narrowed it down to these five factors:

It's gotta be fun (obviously). Ergonomics (Are the gameplay and control scheme well-suited to the iPad?) Uniqueness (Though many iPad games play well as upconverted, higher-resolution versions of their iPhone predecessors, we respect new, iPad-exclusive games.) Value (Some of the best iPad games currently carry high price tags, but we also tried to include titles we thought were simply a good value.) Showoff quotient (Extra points if the game flat-out looks good, or makes efficient use of the Retina display.)

… Read more

Crave giveaway of the week: Joule iPad stand

Yes, here it is, folks, our first iPad-related giveaway: the Joule iPad stand from Element Case.

You can get the full rundown on the company's product page, but the key here is that this stand not only looks sleek, it's also sturdy. "Unlike most stands," the company says, "the Joule won't tip over when using the iPad's touch screen, which allows you to better utilize your iPad on your desktop or kitchen countertop."

It's made in the USA from solid aluminum and comes in a polished finish or a black anodized … Read more

The iPad's hidden shuffle

The iPod music app on the iPad is an odd crossbreed of Apple's iTunes interface and the playback capabilities of the iPhone and iPod Touch. In some ways, it excels beyond either interface, delivering a lightening-fast version of iTunes or a more jukebox-like version of the iPod experience.

But when Apple spliced the DNA of iTunes and the iPod to create the iPad's music player, it buried one of the most useful features of both products: shuffle.

It seems a little odd that Apple would turn its back on a playback feature so popular--the company named a product … Read more

iPad has 'changed' 99-year-old woman's life

Apple's iPad has been enjoying some free advertising as of late. Reports broke last week that the prime minister of Norway was using the tablet to govern from an airport. And now, a story has surfaced claiming a 99-year-old Portland, Ore., area woman is using the iPad to overcome medical woes.

According to a report in The Oregonian, Virginia Campbell, of Lake Oswego, Ore., suffers from glaucoma, making it extremely difficult to engage in her favorite pastimes: reading and writing.

After hearing about the iPad, Campbell, an alumnus of Portland's Reed College, decided that the tablet could be … Read more

I ordered an iPad. What apps should I install first?

What are the must-have apps for a new iPad owner?

You see, it finally happened: I'm the proud owner of Apple's much-ballyhooed tablet. No, I didn't win a contest or rip one out of some poor guy's hand. I actually plunked down some cold, hard cash.

As readers of my Cheapskate blog know, that's something I'm loathe to do. But for me it was a legitimate business expense, and dang if my curiosity didn't get the better of me. Would the iPad live up to the hype? Would I find new and unexpected … Read more

Galcon Fusion goes HD for iPad

I've had the 32GB iPad for almost two weeks now and I'm really happy with my purchase. There are not as many apps available at this early stage as I had hoped, but I suspect that there are many developers working furiously to make their app ready for the new device.

So far, most of the apps I've tried for iPad are fine-tuned, HD versions of their iPhone counterparts. While it can be a little hit or miss as far as whether they are worth the extra cash (especially if you already paid for them on iPhone), … Read more