I realize that this is old news, but I can't help but be incredibly impressed with the newest iteration of Apple TV. It takes some of the best non-gaming aspects of current gaming consoles and puts them together into one nice package. Plus, it's a representation of a new direction from Apple; one that relies solely on streaming and not on storage. Here's what I like best about it:

1. It's 80% smaller than the previous version, and with a sleek black finish. It also has no fans so it'll be nice and quiet. Even the back of the device is elegant; all you need is an HDMI cable and you're set.

2. Aside from its looks, it packs a lot of web functionality. You can stream Netflix, Hulu and YouTube onto it, and hopefully they'll allow access to their movie trailer archives - I couldn't find anything about it on their site, although their Front Row desktop application supports it, so why shouldn't Apple TV?

3. Their rental system seems just right - $1 for TV episodes (which means you'd only pay $10-14 to watch most HBO/Showtime seasons), and $3-5 for movie rentals. This might be a little pricier than, say, having Netflix discs delivered, but the price for this instant convenience is fair. I like that the rental service includes trailers and Rotten Tomatoes reviews, allowing viewers to get a taste of what they're getting into. If renting isn't your thing, you can still buy and watch movies from the iTunes store (although you'll have to stream them from your computer to the Apple TV).

4. With more people buying nice home audio systems, I like the fact that you can easily stream and browse your iTunes library on your TV. I can see this working well in a party setting.

5. $99! This is the ultimate impulse buy price point. I already have an Xbox 360, PS3, and Mac Mini connected to my TV, yet I'm still tempted to drop a Benjamin (or 10 Hamiltons, it still works, trust me) for one anyway. no comments

Even though I initially had a hard time swallowing its price tag, I bought an iPad a few weeks ago. I bought the cheapest version (16gb WiFi-only, $500) for two reasons: I don't plan on storing large amounts of video and music on it, and since I have an iPhone there's no way I'm paying for a 3G plan twice. For the first week I struggled to find a place for it in my gadget library - when would I use this iPad and not my iPhone or computer? - but once I finally worked out the iPad's strengths (and weaknesses), it's become an essential part of my day. Here are five reasons you should want the iPad, and five reasons why you might want to pass on it.

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Our very own Easy Mode contributor Giang stayed with us over this past week, and his ridiculously awesome photography skillz (demonstrated here) inspired me to finally take the plunge and get one of those digital camera things that have detachable lenses (DSLRs to the rest of the world). If you're curious about doing the same, here is my story.

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Russ and I took a casual romantic stroll down to the local Apple Store and had some good hands on with the iPad. We took it through its paces, testing out most of the native apps plus some Rock Band time thrown in there as well. All in all, we came out impressed with the hardware but were ultimately restricted by the scope of the software and its indulgent pricing. Does it have a place in our family of electronics? Yes, but to a limited extent.

Watching television, surfing the web on your couch or organising your schedule all feels great on the device. Problem is, mobile OS X 3.x's deficiencies are only exacerbated on the juiced-uped device. The large screen feels strikingly barren, and the fast internals are woefully under-utilised. Only time will tell if developers leverage the unique qualities of the iPad to set it apart from being the iPod Touch XL. For now, the iPad can be relegated to luxury item status, with early adopters clearly putting their faith in the new in-between category. For the rest of us, we have this.

Catch all the skin-on-glass action in the video. no comments

Hey, you want a reason to not buy Apple's new tablet PC, the one I was skeptical about a few days ago? Okay, here you are.

Draw your own conclusions here. no comments

We've been hearing about it for weeks, months, years now; those terrible whispers in the dark. Apple is working on a tablet PC. And with a Wall Street Journal announcement solidifying months of rumors just days ago, you know that the Apple event on January 27th is definitely going to be about this fabled, much-anticipated tablet.

Thing is, I'm not terribly interested in the tablet PC. And I think the only people to blame for my lack of interest are those fine folks behind Apple. Let's do some maths:

1. iPhone = portable computer, easy to carry, touch screen
2. MacBook = portable computer, easy to carry, long battery, bright screen
3. Tablet = portable computer, easy to car...wait a minute.

My simple observation is that there doesn't seem to be much of a market for it because my two favorite apple devices take care everything I can see the tablet doing. The WSJ article says Apple is going to focus on replacing textbooks and newspapers, as well as tout "family email checking". These don't sound impressive enough to warrant purchase, sorry. Sure, the screen will be beautiful, but I can read my portable media just fine right now. I can't see myself laying down $1000 for an oversized iPhone.

I hope I'm just being nearsighted and the tablet is going to have all sorts of cool innovative features that I can't live without, but at this moment, I remain skeptical. no comments