iPad

Netflix on iPad, more to follow?

We're rash to say something as small as a single app could be a game changer, but the recent rumors of Apple having a Netflix app ready to launch on day one for the iPad are certainly getting our attention.

Links from what appear to be Apple's own servers show two images that certainly look like Netflix on the iPad. The app will let you manage your movie queue as well as stream Netflix on Demand movies. It also could be the first of many apps that could unleash the iPad from the shackles of iTunes Store content. … Read more

10 things Netbooks still do better than an iPad

We might indeed be in the midst of a sea change in portable computing--at least, according to early hands-on reviews of the iPad, Apple's cannon shot at the Netbook universe at large. "They're not better at laptops than anything, they're just cheaper," Steve Jobs himself commented at the unveiling of the iPad in January.

The iPad might bring something new or refined to the equation. And the affordable, tiny, and yes, often bare-bones Atom processor-running device we've come to know and love, or hate, as the Netbook is often clunky and frequently disappointing, true … Read more

Which e-readers will the iPad crush?

Now that the iPad is upon us and the reviews have started coming in, it's becoming clear that the iPad is an excellent e-reader, perhaps the best one out there. This isn't exactly a great surprise. The fact is that ever since we had an inkling that Apple would come out with a slate-style device that resembled a giant iPod Touch, we knew that it would have a profound impact on the e-book reader world. We always figured there would be a before and after shot of the market--and it wouldn't be pretty for certain companies that … Read more

Can't score an Apple iPad? Try these other touch tablets instead (at your own risk)

Apple's iPad is apparently a big seller even before hitting its retail release date. So if you didn't preorder, reserve a unit, or plan to line up at 5 a.m. outside your local Best Buy (which will carry iPads in 600-plus stores), it's time to start considering your touch-screen options.

As we've previously pointed out, there are many tablet/slate devices available that do things the Apple iPad simply can't. Though Apple's tablet runs a version of the company's iPhone operating system, most of these tablets run different versions of Windows, and (… Read more

Top 30 iPad games we'd like to see

The iPad may not have a built-in camera, multitasking capabilities, or support for Flash, but it does have a 9.7-inch high-resolution touch screen and a faster processor than an iPhone 3GS. Though most games for the iPhone and iPod Touch should run on the iPad, many developers are rapidly creating updated "HD" versions of their existing games to take advantage of the device's improved resolution and slightly altered layout.

From the first moment the iPad was announced, we started imagining which games could benefit most from going XL Apple-style. Of course, it remains to be seen … Read more

When will the second-gen iPad arrive?

Back when the Palm Pre came out, I wrote an article about about first-gen jitters. I said that I usually follow a simple rule when it comes to consumer electronics: I avoid buying any first-generation products. That doesn't mean I haven't ever done it, but I tend to wait for generation two or three before I plunk down my dough, particularly when it comes to heavily hyped stuff.

I know a lot of people who are looking at the iPad in the same way. They're intrigued by it--and the price isn't too bad--but they're not … Read more

iTunes 9.1 update sets stage for iPad

Version 9.1 of Apple's iTunes software is now available for download, bringing a handful of improvements and iPad compatibility.

Without an iPad to connect, there aren't a whole lot of visible changes for users to notice. The Audiobook library category has been renamed "Books" and broadened to include all book-related content, including audiobooks and back-ups of e-books purchased using the iPad's iBooks app. Although the feature isn't advertised, we found that free EPUB books from Project Guttenberg or Google Books can be imported via drag and drop. Unfortunately, without the option to view … Read more

Will iPad launch bring OS 3.2 to iPhones?

Saturday is iPad day, that much is certain, but there are rumors that the iPhone might itself get a little attention from Cupertino. Apple on Monday seeded the Golden Master--a copy of the final production version--of iPhone OS 3.2 for download to developers. It's part of the iPad SDK (software development kit), and for now will run only on the iPad. That means come Saturday, the iPad should be running iPhone OS 3.2, while the iPhone itself is still, as of this writing, is currently running 3.1.3.

Now that 3.2 is ready for prime … Read more

How will Apple spin iTunes on iPad?

Apple posted some short Guided Tour videos about the iPad on Monday, confirming my first impression that the iPad isn't a great leap forward for music. That's understandable, since there are other gaps that the iPad is trying to fill first--I think the big draw will be iBooks and Web surfing from the couch over a Wi-Fi connection, which can be done with an iPhone today with much eyestrain.

But the video about music playback (labeled "iPod") did give a couple of hints on how the iPad might evolve to take advantage of all that extra … Read more

The 404 548: Where we can has cheezburger, chipz (podcast)

We usually scold Wilson for eating while we're on the air, but today we're making an exception so that we can taste test Jeff's horrific supermarket find: Cheeseburger-flavored Doritos! Who knew that harnessing the sinewy flavor of cooked beef and artificial cheese would be such a catastrophe?

It takes the three of us a few minutes to recover from the explosion of McNausea, but we get it together and move onto the big Apple news of the day: while many Appleheads are still clamoring over the forthcoming iPad release, the rumor mill is also churning about the fourth-generation iPhone that will supposedly be named the iPhone HD for its 960x640-pixel resolution screen. Other features to look out for include a front-facing camera for video calls and an software update that allows for application multitasking. Our own Apple fanboy Wilson G. Tang contributes his own concerns about battery life and network robustness, and also gives us permission to tattoo a half-full hourglass on his face if his predictions are incorrect.

The latest tech trend to hit Japan is called "Ringtone Therapy" that promises the cure for fay fever and obesity by using simple sounds through your phone. Japanese citizens suffering from stuffiness, runny noses, and sneezing from the pollen in the air can call a service that emits noises that supposedly releases the pollen in your sinuses if the user holds the phone up to their nose. You know what else is good for protecting your sinuses? Not holding foreign objects up to your nose.

We can't thank Steve Fatone and Props Guy Jim enough for all the work they've done for the show. Whether it's the Official 404 Temporary Tattoos, NDC's Motherboard action figure, The 404 hoverboard from BTTF, or the Yu Be Gone spray repellent, these guys are a tremendous asset to the show and we're honored to have them as friends. Thanks again, guys! Let us know if there's anything we can do to return the favor, keeping in mind that Wilson is no longer allowed to attend children's birthday parties.

Finally, be sure to tune into the second half of the show for Calls From the Public plus a couple E-Mails From the Public! Keep sending your comments, questions, critiques, and sticker pictures to the 404(at)cnet{dot}com and you might be on a future episode of The 404!

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