Apple's Ipad, Gadget Must Haves For 2010

Apple's Ipad, Gadget Must Haves For 2010

Apple Ipad named gadget of the year at prestigious T3 awards!

The Apple iPad continued on its unstoppable march towards world domination last night as it scooped the top prize at the T3 Gadget Awards.

The tablet computer was named Gadget Of The Year at the London ceremony, where awards are presented based on the results of more than 750,000 reader votes and an expert panel.

Fending off tough competition from the HTC Desire, Sky+ HD and even Apple's iPhone 4, the iPad emerged the clear winner.

'Best thing that's happened in the tech world': The Apple iPad was named Gadget Of The Year at the T3 Gadget Awards in London last night

Described by T3 magazine as ‘the best thing that’s happened this year in the tech world, hands down’, it was also named Innovation Of The Year, in a category that included the Toshiba Cell TV and the Microsoft Xbox Kinect.

This time, however, the expert judges reached a split decision. So it was the buying public, who loved the way the iPad can charm anyone from the tech-fanatic to the technophobic, who swung the vote.

But it was by no means a clear run for Apple, especially after the technical problems which dogged the launch of the iPhone 4.

HTC once again took the award for Phone Of The Year, this time for the HTC Desire, beating the iPhone to the title for the second year in a row.

Should you want to watch a movie when on the go the iPad is a good option. Storage capacity depends on which model you have, but even the smallest is sufficient for carry along 2 or 3 full-length movies. That’s probably enough for all but the most serious movie junkie. True, you have to go through the hassle of converting these ahead of time, but you’ll have to do that with the HP device, too.
The Slate’s USB port and SD slot allow you to easily carry around additional movies, but the smaller, lower-resolution screen means they won’t look as good.
On the other hand, one of the real strengths of the iPad is its battery life. In my daily use, I find that Apple’s assertion that this device has 8 hours of battery life is possibly a bit low. If I’m just reading an ebook, it can go over 12 hours.

The iPad starts at $500 for the version with 16 GB of storage – that’s the most popular option. If you want a 64 GB version with 3G, you have to put down $830.

When the iPad was unveiled exactly six months ago (Jan. 27, 2010), there was a healthy amount of skepticism with how it fits into people's lives.
It was really something to me because practically nobody had seen the device at its full potential, loaded with worthwhile apps. I said hold on, guys... let's give this some time. The best iPad apps are yet to come.
Six months later, I believe that time has come. Finally there are apps defining the device, utilizing it perfectly to provide value and allowing us to really open up our imaginations to its future potential.
Of course, there are apps for practically everybody. Simply search for topics that most interest you or browse the apps by category, and you're sure to find apps that appeal to you. New apps are added every day.
But what are the best apps -- the apps that best utilize the iPad's functionality, provide the best user experience, and are practically a must-have?

As iPad sales continue to grow, we are sure many of you eco-minded individuals are interested in what Apple's latest gadget can do to help you live a more environmentally-friendly and sustainable lifestyle.
We've already detailed just how green the iPad is, with its recycled aluminum casing and mercury-free/pvc-free components (among many other things).
Here's a round-up of 9 of the greenest apps the iPad has to offer, from solar panel assistance and bicycle turn signals to hi-tech garden companion and universal home appliance control. Check them all out below!

With this awesome Solar Panel Advisor app, you can turn your iPad into a virtual solar panel and calculate how much energy a solar panel could generate from that location. The app lets you configure the size of the solar panel and takes into account factors like your geographical location and the cloud cover in the sky. Best of all, it only costs $1.99!

To help you decide, Apple features 'Staff Picks" on its iTunes store and highlights certain apps in its stores.

Here are some of the staff picks listed on iTunes:

Netflix: Watching a YouTube video on your iPhone was so last year. Now, iPad owners can stream movies from the Netflix's Watch Instantly catalog. The app isn't available yet, but Netflix says it's in the works.

Skype: It's only a matter of time before the iPad will be able to replace the iPhone, sort of. Skype for the iPad allows you to call and instant message other users on Skype for free. Though an official app for iPad is in the works, the iPhone version has been tested and works on iPad.

GymGoal: Need a comprehensive way to track your workouts and fitness goals? This highly-rated app (for $3.99) is available now and not only offers a way to track the calories you burn and miles you run, but also offers exercise tips and full-color images of the human body to show you which muscle group you'll use.

CB Jobs: The CareerBuilder app lets you search for jobs based on location, industry, employer and more. It also allows you to apply for them. Even better for out-of-work job seekers, this app is free and available now.

MapQuest: Get turn-by-turn directions while driving or walking using this navigation app that has been enhanced with voice-guidance. From Aol., the parent company of WalletPop, this app is also free.

Wine Ratings Guide: For $3.99, be your own wine expert. This app offers wine ratings, descriptions and price ranges. It also allows you to create a wine-lover wish list.

These apps were among some that were being highlighted in Apple's flagship Fifth Avenue store:

iWork: This is essentially the iPad version of Micorosft Office suite of word-processing, spreadsheet and presentation software. To get the whole package, iPad users will need to download three apps at $9.99 each: Keynote (think of this as the PowerPoint application for presentations), Pages (for word processing) and Numbers (the Excel of the iPad world).

iBooks: Of course, Apple would suggest you download their e-reading app rather than, say, Amazon's Kindle e-reader. Tens of thousands of books are available for download, many of which are free. Unlike the matte-gray face of the Kindle, the iBook "pages" closely resemble those of an actual book and readers can switch to portrait mode so they can view two pages at once.

Google Earth: Scroll around the world with the remarkable images of Google Earth, done justice by the iPad's beautiful display screen.

The New York Times: Editors at the esteemed newspaper will hand-pick eight to 10 of their business and technology stories and columns for iPad with this free app. A paid version is in the works.

APPLE'S IPAD REVIEW

Jonathan Fildes | 12:20 UK time, Thursday, 1 April 2010

Apple has hand-picked a select group of journalists to review the much-hyped and long-anticipated iPad, ahead of its launch on 3 April.
Gizmodo have looked through everyone's reviews and broken it down into a handy table to compare what people say about different features, or lack of them:

"At least eight people got iPads from Apple pre-launch, three usual suspects plus some new faces. Their approaches are different, but the take-home remains the same: It's good."

In a positive review, Walt Mossberg at allthingsd was impressed with the battery life and speculates that the touchscreen could see the end of the mouse. But, he says, people will have to try it out before making a judgement on the device:

"Because the iPad is a new type of computer, you have to feel it, to use it, to fully understand it and decide if it is for you, or whether, say, a netbook might do better."

Ed Baig at USA Today agrees:

"The iPad is not so much about what you can do - browse, do e-mail, play games, read e-books and more - but how you can do it. That's where Apple is rewriting the rulebook for mainstream computing. There is no mouse or physical keyboard. Everything is based on touch."

However, he also points out some of the device's deficiencies:

"The iPad has its share of Version 1.0 inadequacies. It doesn't multitask, save playing iTunes music in the background. There's no webcam for those of us hoping to do video chats. The battery is sealed. It's too big for your pocket."

David Pogue at the New York Times provides two reviews - one for the techies and one for "everyone else". In both he describes it as a "gigantic iPod Touch".
In his general review, he points out that the iPad is a new category of device, "not a laptop".

"It's not nearly as good for creating stuff. On the other hand, it's infinitely more convenient for consuming it -- books, music, video, photos, Web, e-mail and so on."

For the more technically minded he explores the device's lack of Flash:

"Apple has this thing against Flash, the Web's most popular video format; says it's buggy, it's not secure and depletes the battery. Well, fine, but meanwhile, thousands of Web sites show up with empty white squares on the iPad -- places where videos or animations are supposed to play."

Omar Wasow at The Root says technical niggles are easily dealt with and proclaims: "The Techies Are Wrong about the iPad".

"The techie obsession with specs and obscure features completely misses how most consumers will actually use the iPad. A small percentage of power users will be disappointed that the iPad doesn't, say, have an HDMI video-out port or that it currently lacks the ability to run multiple applications simultaneously or that it fails to address some other esoteric concern."

Xeni jardin at Boing Boing has a series of high-resolution pictures and screenshots. In the review, she is impressed with the gadget's potential as a gaming device, comparing it to her first experience with the Nintendo Wii:

"There's something about tilting and steering and braking with a device you hold in your hands, just like a steering wheel, that's so much more viscerally pleasing than a big old shelf-bound console."

She also explores some of the content that will be available on the device, including an interactive "Harry Potter book" of the periodic table:

"The elements in this periodic table seem very much alive. The obvious way to examine static objects - say, a lump of gold (number 79) or an ingot of cast antimony (number 51) is to rotate them, to spin the specimen with your fingertips. And that's exactly what you do here."

It is an app that also caught the attention of self-confessed Apple fan Stephen Fry, who posted a series of videos and pictures of his device on Twitter:

"Best App of all Theodore Gray Wolfram Periodic table. Everything is animated and gorgeous. Alone worth iPad."

Reviews by:

Jonathan Fildes