iPad

iPad: New must-have celeb accessory?

Just like the Prius and the Kardashian sisters before it, the iPad looks like it might be the new must-have celebrity accessory.

Basketball superstar Lebron James was photographed checking out an iPad at a Boston Red Sox game Sunday evening. Actress Alyssa Milano picked up one this weekend and by Monday morning wrote on Twitter, "I love my iPad so much I kind of want to make out with it." British comedian Stephen Fry, his country's best-known technophile, got to geek out with the iPad ahead of almost everyone, and even did an interview with Steve Jobs … Read more

iPad finds a home in the dashboard

I'm not saying that this is a good idea, but I am saying that I saw this coming. The freshly minted Apple iPad has found its way into the dashboard. Installers at Sound Man Car Audio have modified the dashboard of a Toyota Tacoma to accommodate Apple's tablet, which will serve as the brains for a much more extensive installation.

It appears that the iPad will still be removable, which is good for security. Also, because until the Apple iPad 3G goes on sale, there isn't any GPS functionality for nav and Pandora Radio streaming will only … Read more

If you can, buy your iPad books from Amazon

One of the iPad's marquee features is iBooks, Apple's book reading application and bookstore. It's a good app, attractive and capable. The bookstore itself isn't bad either, with a healthy selection of popular books and a large library of free, public domain works. But be careful before you dive into the Apple ecosystem for books.

iBooks competes with Amazon's Kindle. The new Kindle app for the iPad lacks some features iBooks has, but makes up for it with superior flexibility, and a few useful features iBooks does not have. While the iBooks and Kindle apps … Read more

Why Apple's iBooks falls short of Kindle--for now

In case you haven't noticed, Amazon's changed gears a little bit when it comes to its Kindle platform. If you look at Amazon's homepage, you'll notice a different message. Now that the iPad is here, no longer is Amazon just advertising the Kindle e-reader front and center, it's all about the Kindle app, which is available for a variety of devices.

As I've argued all along, Amazon is ultimately more interested in selling software (e-books) than hardware (the Kindle), so the whole multi-prong app effort is key to its strategy of dominating the e-book market. A lot of people talk about how closed the Amazon system is (it uses its own format for its content while the rest of the industry, including Apple, has standardized on the ePub format), but in terms of accessing your library from multiple devices, Amazon is actually the most open and flexible. (Note to Nook owners: You can move an e-book from your Nook to your iPhone, but the Kindle app's page-syncing feature, which takes you to the last page you read on either device, isn't available yet).

So while we can sit here talking about walled gardens all you want, what people really want is the freedom to move their content around.… Read more

The 404 552: Where we're like, 'Been there, done that' (podcast)

This morning Wilson told us he'd tear his hair out if he hears the word "iPad" one more time, and we completely understand, but we still have to talk about it a little bit on today's show, so beware of falling strands. There's plenty of coverage on CNET TV of Saturday's official Apple iPad launch, plus a first look at gaming on the iPad, and, of course, the official CNET review.

While all the Appleheads patiently waited for their friendly neighborhood mail carriers on Saturday, two 19-year olds in Pennsylvania had a different plan for their iPad. They waited in line for it at the local Best Buy, then took it out to the parking lot and got all "Office Space" on it with a Louisville Slugger, except that at about 1:09 into the video, a tiny voice of reason finally chimes in with "What was the point of that?" Not to blow this out of proportion, but the point appears to be a warning to adults about putting money into the hands of stupid, stupid kids. Come on guys, you could have at least smashed something truly useless, like Jeff's 8th Palm Pre.

Speaking of uselessness, Microsoft just announced that it's finally removing the word "Series" from "Windows Phone 7," the name of its upcoming mobile operating system. The tweet offers little explanation and Microsoft offers this short and sweet statement, as reported by our own Bonnie Cha on Crave: "Customers want a simpler way to say and use the name consistently. The important thing is keeping the focus on the Windows Phone brand, which we introduced in October and will continue investing in through Windows Phone 7 and beyond." Well played, Microsoft!

We hope you had as relaxing of a weekend as we did, but it's time to get back to work sending us voicemails (1-866-404-CNET) and e-mails (the404{at}cnet{dot}com) so we have material to play on the air while we wait for the next big Apple product launch. Just kidding...but seriously, iPad iPad iPad iPad iPad iPad iPad iPad.

EPISODE 552 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

iPad reportedly overheating in the sun

You know the story from Greek mythology about Icarus, and how his father Daedalus told him not to fly too close to the sun with the wings he made for him out of feathers and wax. Icarus didn't listen and fell into the sea.

Well, according to several reports, Daedalus might want to warn iPad owners not to play too close to the sun with their beloved new devices because they too may crash.

While Apple has historically had a good track record when it comes to the reliability of its high-profile products, there have been a few glitches … Read more

Survey: Most iPad owners have Macs, iPhones

iPad owners are huge Apple fans who already own Macs, an iPhone, and at least one iPod, according to a weekend survey from Piper Jaffray.

Piper Jaffray senior analyst Gene Munster, who coordinated a survey of 448 iPad buyers on Saturday, said 74 percent of iPad owners surveyed currently own a Mac, while just 26 percent own a PC.

Apple has also done a good job attracting iPhone owners, Munster found. About 66 percent of those surveyed said that they currently own an iPhone. A whopping 99 percent of those iPhone owners say they will use their handset in conjunction … Read more

Wireless keyboard could keep your iPad software keyboard from showing up

If your wireless keyboard is still connected to your iPad, or if another wireless keyboard has paired with your iPad, you may find that your software keyboard does not show up when expected. Tapping the eject key on the wireless keyboard should solve the issue. If not, try these steps.… Read more

iPad included in patent infringement suit

A company that has already sued Apple over a patent on zooming and scrolling on a mobile Web browser, is now adding the iPad to the lawsuit Monday.

EMG Technology, a company based in Los Angeles, sued Apple in November 2008, claiming that it owns U.S. Patent No. 7,441,196, which covers the "Apparatus and Method of Manipulating a Region on a Wireless Device Screen for Viewing, Zooming and Scrolling Internet Content." The company says the method of scrolling and zooming on a mobile Web browser was issued to Elliot Gottfurcht, one of the owners of … Read more