iPad

The 404 717: Where we don't call you Shirley (podcast)

Before we get into today's Cyber Monday madness, we're taking a moment to pay tribute to Leslie Nielsen, who passed away yesterday at age 84 from pneumonia complications. His repertoire includes some of our favorites, like the "Naked Gun" series and of course "Airplane"--RIP to one of the most influential comedians of our time.

Today is Cyber Monday, the magical post-Thanksgiving day when online stores slash their virtual prices to give shoppers a hint of what happened in person on Black Friday.

According to Coremetrics, online sales on Black Friday went up 15.9 percent from last year, thanks to social-networking Web sites spreading the instant word on shopping tips and real-time inventory updates. The company also noticed a rise in "surgical shopping," with people focusing on specific products instead of randomly browsing.

Check out CNET's Cyber Monday Gift Guide to stay updated on today's best deals, including $89 Amazon Kindle e-Readers, console and computer games starting at 90 cents, and more.

Wilson also surprises us with a 4Loko that he picked up this morning for breakfast. The FDA actually banned all eight flavors as of this week after several kids died from alcohol poisoning, also called the Four Loko "aftereffects." Think we're kidding? Check out what happens to the dude who goes on a 24-hour Four Loko Diet.

Plenty of voice mails to play today, with special thanks to Blake Stevenson for making us this poster featuring MC TerrorByte and the Yu Tang Clan! Blake became the unofficial 404 artist after winning our 404 logo competition, so be sure to add him on Twitter and fan him up on Facebook!

Episode 717 Subscribe in iTunes audio | Suscribe to iTunes (video) | Subscribe in RSS Audio | Subscribe in RSS Video… Read more

iPad prompts Gartner to trim PC shipment forecast

PC shipments around the world should rise this year and next, according to the latest estimates from Gartner. But the forecast doesn't look as promising as it did a few months ago, largely due to the impact of the iPad and other tablets.

For 2010, computer shipments are expected to hit 352.4 million units, a 14.3 percent rise from 2009. But that estimate is down from Gartner's prior forecast in September in which it was eyeing growth of 17.9 percent for the year.

Continuing that trend, shipments should reach 409 million in 2011, a 15.… Read more

Make AirPrint work with non-AirPrint-compatible printers

Like many users, I was pretty excited about iOS 4.2's AirPrint feature--until I learned that it would work only with AirPrint-compatible printers. Sorry, but I'm not ditching my perfectly good laser and inkjet models just so I can beam the occasional photo or document from my iPhone.

Fortunately, I don't have to. Following some instructions over at news blog Javox, I learned how to make AirPrint work with just about any printer.

Update: I have since found what I consider a much easier and more effective solution: FingerPrint, a Windows/Mac utility that turns any printer into an AirPrint printer. … Read more

Prizefight: iPad vs. Galaxy Tab

With the iPad tablet computer, Apple is poised to dominate yet another tech category (remember MP3 players) before the competition has a chance to react. For Apple's devotees, the iPad is nothing less than a slam dunk.

Samsung begs to differ. Its Galaxy Tab tablet is a clear threat to the iPad and a worthy consideration to anyone shopping around for a tablet. The Tab offers a smaller, more convenient size, Adobe Flash support, front and rear cameras, and the fastest growing mobile OS: Google's Android 2.2.

But can the Tab unseat the incumbent Apple iPad as … Read more

Researchers in motion--as they move to RIM rival

As Research In Motion waits for its PlayBook tablet to counter incursions onto its enterprise turf by Apple's iPhone and iPad gadgets, some of RIM's enterprise sales force have apparently decided not to wait--they've defected to the competition.

Stuart Weinberg of The Wall Street Journal did a little sniffing around on LinkedIn and discovered that in the last year and a half, at least five members of RIM's enterprise sales team have jumped ship and joined Steve Jobs and Co.

Those onetime Researchers In Motion are:

Geoff Perfect, former head of strategic sales at RIM, who, … Read more

Angry Birds slingshotting to PS3, XBox 360, Wii

Angry Birds on the big screen? No, a movie deal hasn't been inked yet, but console versions are in the works. According to a BBC blog, Rovio, the developer of the megapopular smartphone game, is hoping to release Angry Birds on the PS3, XBox 360, and Wii next year.

Also in the works: Angry Birds 2. The new game will apparently have more pigs--and they'll be more active.

"It won't be a sequel or a prequel but a different type of game featuring the same characters," said Rovio CEO Peter Vesterbacka. "The pigs will … Read more

Digital City 106: iPad updates; OnLive's MicroConsole; and a couple of cord cutters

TV guru David Katzmaier sits in for Joey this week, talking about his adventures in cord cutting. Like Scott, he also recently ditched his cable service for a mix of over-the-air and IPTV.

Additionally, Dan's iPad gets bricked by the iOS 4.2 update, and even our studio computer crashes, forcing an "a capella" version of the Digital City theme song.

Don't forget: You can download the show's theme song as a free MP3 here for a limited time!

Note: It's usually our video recording that ends up getting swallowed by our temperamental podcast system, but this time it's the audio version that's giving us some trouble--so stay tuned for the MP3 of this week's show.

iOS 4.2.1 Mobile Safari adds goodies for developers

With the release of Apple's iOS 4.2.1 software update, developers gain access to several new goodies including accelerometer and gyroscope support, WebSockets support through HTML5, printing support, new JavaScript data types, and enhanced SVG and Canvas support.

By supporting the DeviceOrientation API, Web developers can now use the accelerometer (and gyroscope) when developing Web applications and games. This opens the door for a much more robust environment on the Web and lets developers experiment freely (and continually) without the need to wait for Apple's App Store approval process.

Web developer and blogger Maximiliano Firtman has provided … Read more

iOS 4.2.1 jailbroken, available now

With Apple's recent release of the latest version of its mobile operating system, iOS 4.2.1, still warm on everyone's plate, the iPhone Dev Team has successfully jailbroken the update.

Thanks to a combination of past hacks (pwnage2, arm7_go, 24kpwn, and limera1n), the iPhone Dev Team was able to crack through the iOS 4.2.1 update, bringing people the capability to use jailbroken apps, games, and utilities on their iOS devices.

For those of you with an iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, or second-generation iPod Touch, the jailbreak method will remain just as simple. New iPod Touch … Read more

Things iOS 4.2 still can't do on the iPad (but we wish it did)

I had been looking forward to multitasking on the iPad for a long, long time.

Back when iOS 4 was first detailed, the potential for iPad users was clear. However, while iPhone and iPod Touch owners got to flaunt multitasking, the delay until the final release of iOS 4.2 on the iPad was agonizing. Now the day has come and gone, and for an iPad owner such as myself, the rewards of the iOS update have been somewhat worth the wait.

Having folders to organize the endless grids of apps is a long overdue welcome addition. Background streaming of Internet radio on an iPad is a great add for anyone, and I've found it great for simultaneous radio news and newspaper browsing. AirPlay is intriguing, although you'd need an Apple TV to take advantage of its potential. Threaded, unified mail inboxes are, needless to say, time-saving.

And yet, there's a lot I wish the iPad version of iOS still had.

For one, the whole OS feels entirely too similar to the iPhone edition. The multitasking bar, folder system, and functionality are nearly identical. Most features translate well, but for anyone hoping an iPad can transform into something a little more like a computer, most of these features don't cut it.

My wish list from months ago has only been halfway met. Here's what I'd like to see...in iOS 5.… Read more