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Physical things break, too: Why I'm going digital

I spent half of the last weekend doing something sobering: I dragged wet bags of trash out of my parents' flooded basement on Long Island. Up to 7 inches of groundwater rose up after a recent series of rainstorms, and the unfortunate result was that boxes of old papers, books, and childhood possessions were irrevocably waterlogged and destroyed.

We should have gone through the boxes earlier, some years before. Old game systems--the Atari 5200, Sega CD game boxes, piles of Sega Genesis games, and peripherals--had to be thrown out. Electronic board games and puzzles, too. I could put together an amazing slideshow of what was gotten rid of, but it was too painful, and the humidity downstairs was overwhelming. That's not the point.

My real reflection, or observation, came when dealing with notebooks and papers that also had to be thrown out, and albums of photographs that were soaked. Not to trivialize matters, but I had just purchased an iPad the day before--in itself a thing, too, but one that represents the current and coming all-digital and cloud-based lifestyle where books, photos, videos, and even possibly memories are digitized and made intangible. The attack levied on a lifestyle of digital goods is that you don't get to own "the thing," the object that is somehow more valuable than the e-good it's replacing.

Well, tell that to my waterlogged games and books. Right now I'd prefer to re-download the games over PSN, or sync back up to my Kindle app. Yes, digital files can get corrupted, hard drives break, clouds can go haywire and erase mail or documents. But our physical possessions can be destroyed, too. Everything falls apart eventually. I told my parents, who were distraught with losing so many things they saved over the years, that if you think about it, we really don't own anything in our lives. We come, we go, and everything--physical or digital--decays.

So, I'm making a concerted effort more than ever to go digital. Here's how.… Read more

preGAME 09: iPad gaming roundup

This week on preGAME, we welcome special guest Robin Yang from Candystand.com to the show. Robin tells us about the highly addictive games at Candystand and walks us through one of the new titles, UMAG.

Robin is also here today to help us check out a handful of iPad games! That's right, on today's episode we're only looking at iPad video games. We demo N.O.V.A. HD, Resident Evil 4, Metal Gear Solid Touch, and Mirror's Edge. If you're thinking about getting an iPad for gaming, this is definitely the video to watch; we break down the highs and lows of iPad gaming and debate whether the system has legs as a portable console.

Also on today's show we'll chat about the new Xbox 360 memory card update that allows users to use USB cards to save games and media. Next we'll show you a new accessory from Japan that will turn your PS3 Slim into a portable system!

Ever wonder whatever happened to Duke Nukem Forever? We'll find out as we get our hands on some leaked footage of everyone's favorite game that never was. Finally, we'll look at what's possibly the most poorly conceived Sonic the Hedgehog level ever constructed. Let's hope this one doesn't make it to the final game due out this summer.… Read more

From floor planks to DIY iPad stand

If the contents of our CNET in-boxes in the last week or so are any indication, iPad owners have no shortage of accessories to choose from when it comes to embellishing, encasing, and steadying their new devices.

Crave reader Amit Jain, however, wasn't spotting a stand that fit. Observing that most he's seen so far "are made of lightweight aluminum or plastic," he wanted a heavy, sturdy holder that could withstand the impact of multiple touches without getting wobbly when he used his new device as a touch computer.

So, as our crafty readers are wont to do, … Read more

iFixIt and Chipworks offer Apple A4 chip teardown

As usual with product releases from Apple, numerous online sources compete to show detailed teardowns of the devices when they are available. Not only do people test the physical durability (even going so far as to blend the original iPhone), but they also benchmark the devices to see if they live up to the advertised specifications. With the iPad, however, some folks have gone one step further to bring a full teardown of the custom A4 chip.… Read more

The 404 553: Where the Doc drops the 'series' (podcast)

CNET's resident cell phone expert Bonnie Cha is back from CTIA 2010, and we're all anxious to hear about the new smartphones coming out this year. But the main dish is Sprint's new HTC Evo 4G, the first handheld to use Sprint's WiMax network that promises faster speeds than traditional Wi-Fi (when it's finally deployed).

Before we get too deep, Bonnie tells us what we should know about Sprint's 4G network, the difference between WiMax and LTE, and what we can expect in terms of speed from the Evo. Bonnie's description of her firsthand experience with the phone at CTIA gets us even more excited about its upcoming release.

The phone features a 4.3-inch multitouch display, the new 1GHz Snapdragon processor (dual-core processors in phones coming soon?), forward- and rear-facing cameras, a built-in HDMI port for streaming high-def video, and the ultimate kicker: a KICKSTAND! This is not a drill; the HTC Evo actually does have a little foot on the back that stands the phone at an angle for hands-free Sprint TV viewing.

We're also spinning our wheels about what this Thursday's Apple announcement will have in store for the iPhone. Fresh off the recent release of the iPad, we're crossing our fingers that Apple's new iPhone OS 4.0 finally lets you multitask. Rest assured that Wilson and the rest of the CNET TV crew will be working around the clock to keep you up-to-date as we find out more.

Finally, don't forget that The Audiophillie Music Awards for Excellence in Recorded Sound, hosted by our own Steve Guttenberg, is still in full effect! It's not too late to record a band (could be your own!) for a chance to win a set of either Monster Turbine Pro Gold ($299) or Pro Copper ($399) headphones.

Lo-fi submissions are welcome, but to enter this contest you need to download, print, and complete the contest entry form (PDF). We already have a few submissions and the deadline is April 12, so record quickly and good luck!

EPISODE 553 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

iPad, tablets expected to dampen Netbook sales

The appeal of the iPad, HP's upcoming Slate, and other tablets will take a bite out of Netbook sales this year, according to a report released Monday by DisplaySearch.

Driven by the iPad, the tablet market will see dramatic gains this year, taking market share away from clamshell-style Netbooks, says DisplaySearch's "Quarterly Notebook PC Shipment and Forecast Report."

Most of the growth, especially for the iPad, will come from North America and Western Europe, where Apple has set up key distribution lines and created agreements with content providers. Overall, consumers are expected to pick up around 5 million tablets this year, forecasts DisplaySearch.

But don't count out the Netbook just yet. Traditional clamshell type Netbooks, or mininotes, are expected to continue to entice customers as their average selling prices have dropped from $400 to slightly less than $300. The Apple iPad, which will account for most tablet shipments this year, starts at a price of $499 and moves up to more than $800. The low prices of Netbooks will remain appealing to people looking for a second or third PC and help lure in first-time PC buyers in emerging markets.

Ironically, though, the low prices of Netbooks will continue to result in thinner margins and lower sales numbers for their manufacturers, component suppliers, and retailers, says DisplaySearch.… Read more

Digital City 76: Which 50 percent of the show are now iPad owners? (podcast)

This week, we find out which of our co-hosts went out and got iPads; believe it or not, it's 50 percent of the team. And it may be a bit early for such talk, but we're already looking at a few potential iPad killers.

And, just to give you a break from all this Apple action, we're hosting a special giveaway this week, a chance to win a very cool video game collectible: a life-size replica prop gun from the Sega action game Bayonetta.

Watch the show to see it up close, and for instructions on how … Read more

iWork on the iPad is a great way to work

Of the many apps available on iPad release day--and the continuing flood of new additions coming in as developers get their apps primed for the new device--a few key apps came straight from Apple. As reported when the iPad was initially announced, Apple has created iPad versions of its popular iWork productivity suite, including Pages, Numbers, and Keynote apps--each of which is available for $9.99 at the iTunes App Store.

We've had a chance to get a close look at each of the iWork apps and have found them to be extremely useful on the new platform. Obviously, … Read more

iBooks crashing? E-mail the developer the logs

A few iPad users who have purchased books using the iBooks application have complained of the program crashing. This may happen when you first download books, but also may happen after two or three successful downloads. Once the crash occurs, the application may become unstable and continue to crash during other functions, such as accessing the bookshelf.… Read more