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The iPad’s display may be gorgeous, but if you’re going to read outdoors, you’ll probably want an e-ink reader: if your retinas don’t pucker into singularities from rays of direct sunlight bouncing off of the glass fdisplay, your iPad might still melt into a toxic soup and pour through your fingers.

Well… okay. We cop to the hyperbolic here, but exaggeration aside, the iPad has some significant overheating issues if widespread overheating issues.

Perhaps the problem is best summarized by PC Magazine’s Zach Honig, who posted this image on Twitter… the end result of using his iPad for ten minutes in direct sunlight on a 70 degree day in New York City. He had to pop his iPad in the fridge to get it running again.

One of the most exciting things about Apple’s overall shift to touchscreen technology in the last few years is that it allows the iPhone and the iPad to replace much more expensive custom solutions for niche markets. Contrary to what you might have heard, these are actually democratizing forces.

Robert Rummel-Hudson is semi-famous on the Internet as the father of Schuyler, a girl born with BPP, a rare brain malformity that can cause all kinds of developmental problems. For Schuyler, most of the impact has been on her speech — she really  can’t. She can, however, use a touchscreen device to select from lists of words to talk for her, what’s known as augmentive/alternative communication.

These devices are amazing — and very expensive. Under the hood, they’re basically like an iPad but with a lot less horsepower. And, crucially, only children with disabilities carry them. Imagine replacing a medical or therapeutic device with the coolest gadget on the planet — at a lower price. If these many custom hardware solutions are replaced by apps, children like Schuyler won’t be regarded as weird, they’ll be regarded as cool. Rob is calling on PRC, the developer of Unity, the program she uses to communicate, to make a high-priced but life-changing app for iPad. We second that request.

By having an iPad, you now have the internet in your hands (and probably on your couch), at least according to Steve Jobs. But are you wishing you had a bookmarks bar like in regular Safari? After reading this quick guide you soon will.

We knew it was coming — we just had no idea it’d be here so quickly. Yes, iPhone OS 4.0 will be revealed to the world at a press event this Thursday, at 10 a.m. Pacific, according to our friends over at Gizmodo — and every other tech blog under the sun.

Andrea Nepori, head honcho at Italian-based TheAppleLounge.com, has alerted us to the fact that maybe Steve Jobs doesn’t have anything to wear.

Check out the worn-out pants and forlorn sneakers in the photo of Jobs, left, at Apple’s Stockton Street Palo Alto store in San Francisco on the iPad’s launch day; now sadly note the same fashion choices in the photo on the right, of El Jobso and Google CEO Eric Schmidt kicking back in Palo Alto, taken a week earlier.

So buy an iPad, and maybe Jobs can afford to pop for some new togs. Seriously, before The Gap starts marketing a replica version of his jeans called the iHole. Because we all know where his critics would take that one.

[Thanks to Andrea Nepori for the photo-illustration.]

With the big news that Apple lifted restrictions on 3G VoIP calls in February and rumors that Skype might allow such calls in the near future, it’s no wonder that splashes from the opening salvos in the VoIP app wars can be seen around the App Store.

The latest combatant to enter the arena is Goober, who launched their iPhone app about two weeks ago (though the service has been around for computers since 2006). And while we’re still waiting for Skype to release a 3G-capable app, Goober’s is already here.

We kick off the first week of the iPad with a number of free iPad apps, including “Dictionary! for iPad.” We also check out a new batch of freebies from the App Store, including “Arcade Hoops Basketball.” We wrap up the top trio of deals with a number of iPod touch devices, starting at $169 for an 8GB model.

Along the way, we check out other Apple software and gear for the Mac fan. As always, details on these and many other bargains are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page which starts right after the jump.

OK, class, weekend playtime is over. Time to get to work. More than 300,000 of you have had fun since Saturday playing games, watching movies and lazing around in bed with the Sunday New York Times on your new iPad. Now it’s Monday morning and the question is: can you justify bringing Apple’s new gadget into the office and putting it to work as a productivity tool?

Well, should your work involve producing graphs, flow charts, schematic designs or anything similar the answer is a resounding yes if you’re hip to the productivity apps from Omni Group.

Although analyst predictions of how many iPads would sell on the first day varied widely from Apple’s own 300,000 figure, we are getting some intriguing insights into why consumers are buying the new tablet device. For Apple, maybe the most comforting bit of data is that the iPad is not a cannibal.

“We believe that Apple has successfully carved out a new category of mobile devices between the smartphone and the laptop,” Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster told investors Monday. That feat was accomplished “apparently without cannibalizing its own iPhone and Mac sales,” he added.

I think you can safely chalk this latest Apple patent won’t come to fruition, but it’s an interesting one the nonce: a MacBook Pro with a built in pico projector in the hinge, perfect for giving presentations on-the-go, or just throwing a movie up on the wall for your friends to watch.

It’s neat, but it’s also way to marginalized a feature to expect any time soon, especially given the relative lameness of pico projectors: Apple might well pull this trick out of their hat one day, but not until they can do it right. What do you think?

As they are wont to do, the fine folks of PC World have dropped, thrown, scratched, smashed, hurled, trounced, boiled, frozen and defenestrated their iPad so you don’t have to. If you want to know just how much punishment your iPad can take, go read their iPad Stress Test.

The takeaway here is never to drop your iPad: according to PC World Senior Editor Tim Moynihan, three or four drops onto a carpeted office floor was enough spiderglass the screen. But at least it’s really scratch resistant… and, apparently, donut-controllable. Hit the full article for all the don’ts.

Okay, maybe Piper Jaffray analyst Gene Munster should have stuck with his original estimate of 200,000 to 300,000 iPads sold over the weekend. Still, his interviews of iPad buyers revealed some interesting points – such as the number of Kindle owners in line to buy Apple’s new gadget.

Indeed, 58 percent of iPad owners who also have a Kindle, said they’d drop the Amazon e-reader in favor of the new tablet device. Another interesting tidbit from Munster’s survey: 10 percent of those in line Saturday to buy an iPad had considered purchasing a Kindle.

This is what happens when you have one of the most widely anticipated device launches of the year coupled with not enough to go around: someone walks out of the store and. before they can even reach their car, gets their iPad stolen.

In this case, the unlucky victim was Mohamed Aboutaleb of Dover, New Hampshire, who walked out of his local Best Buy with a new iPad only to be accosted by a teenage thief who pushed him to the ground, grabbed his bag and jumped into a getaway car driven by another punk kid… all before he could set up “Find my iPaD” in MobileMe.

Poor guy. We’re tempted to suggest the only safe way to walk around in public with an iPad is by handcuffing it to your wrist, but the consumer frenzy’s high enough with the iPad that that suggestion can only lead to a bloody hacksaw and a spurting stump or two. Better to just hand it over.

[via TUAW]

Ever since the iPhone’s release, one of the most pervasive criticisms of Apple’s handhelds as dedicated gaming devices have been the device’s lack of analog controls. It’s a criticism that has seemed considerably limper as time goes on and developers have figured out to utilize the iPhone’s touchscreen and accelerometer effectively, but for certain genres like fighting games and twitch shooters, there’s still something be said for the good old d-pad.

If a new Apple patent is anything to go by, Cupertino agrees. They have filed an application for a snap-on D-Pad with control buttons that wraps around an iPhone or iPad to offer more precision gaming.

Apple announced official iPad sales numbers for Saturday, the first day the much-ballyhooed tablet device was available in stores. More than 300,000 iPads were sold by midnight, April 3, the Cupertino, Calif. company said Monday morning.

“It feels great to have the iPad launched into the world — it’s going to be a game changer,” CEO Steve Jobs declared via a press statement. The number reflect pre-orders, shipments to partners and retail sales. More than 1 million apps were downloaded and 250,000 e-books from the iBookstore were downloaded Saturday, according to the company.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dgHNayVtHkQ

Always plucky, ingenious and defiant, it already looked pretty good that the iPhone OS hacking community would manage a zero day jailbreak… and it looks they they’ve done just that in under 24 hours, courtesy of hacker Musclenerd.

It appears that this jailbreak is using the same “Spirit” technique that Geohot demonstrated working on 3.1.3 last week, strongly implying that iPhone OS 3.2 doesn’t close any of the previous firmware’s exploitable holes.

When can the command-line-disinclined expect an idiot-proof iPad jailbreak? No word yet, although Geohot has said that he’s waiting to release his software until Apple rolls the 3.2 firmware across all devices.

httpvhd://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lryUwra0PKw

Bummed you missed the iPad launch day festivities? Didn’t want to get up at such an indecent hour to witness the pandemonium? Well take heart Apple brothers and sisters! I woke up much too bright and way too early so I could bring you all fun the launch day had to offer. Why, you’ll feel like you didn’t miss a thing as you weave with me through the HUGE iPad line, talking iPad and giving out some sweet shwag!

I do believe Seattle had one of the largest and most ruckus iPad lines in the world. But hey, you be the judge.

UPDATED: Steve Jobs personally demoed the iPad for his daughter at his local Palo Alto store on Saturday, and not, as this post originally reported, “for one lucky customer.” Confusion in the initial post stemmed from typos in a Tweet communicated to Cult of Mac by Twitter user Cédric Lignier, who wrote today to clarify his communication, which should have read:

“Met Steve Job @ Palo Alto today! I gave up my iPad spot 4 let him demoed the iPad 2 his daughter. Unbelievable!”

Jobs was at his local Apple Store on University Avenue in Palo Alto, which did brisk business in iPads Saturday, attracting big crowds. It looks like Jobs walked to the store (he lives nearby and is often spotted walking around Palo Alto). No one seems to have paid him much attention. The staff in the picture above, taken by Lignier, seem more concerned with crowd control.

Meanwhile, the iPad’s top designer, Jonathan Ive, quietly watched the mobs at his local Apple store in San Francisco.

Ive, who is famously shy and self-effacing, attended the iPad launch event at the flagship Stockton Street store, which was a mob and media frenzy. It seems few noticed him either, despite being the most famous designer in the world. The one person who did, Matt Galligan, scored this nice picture with him.

Check it this video of F-cked Company’s Philip “Pud” Kaplan typing full speed on the iPad. Who said the iPad’s no good for typing?

Lots of people are complaining that their iPads aren’t charging when plugged into their computer’s USB port. The battery indicator in the upper right corner says “Not Charging.” The iPad still syncs, however.

Don’t worry, it’s not a glitch. The iPad needs a high-power USB 2.0 port to charge, which are less common on older computers. Many USB hubs and keyboards with USB ports won’t work either.

The complaints seem to be coming from users of older Macs and some Windows laptop users. The front-facing USB ports on a 2006 Mac Pro, for example, don’t put out enough power to charge the iPad, but the ports on a 2009 MacBook Pro (13-inch) do.

Apple has published a support document that advises charging the iPad using the included power brick.

Better get a new Mac to work with your new iPad.

Although the kids have already monopolized CoM’s brand new iPad, here are some initial impressions. My colleague Jose Gutierrez also chipped in.

* It’s seriously WOW. A huge grin broke on my face the first time I swiped the lock screen. It’s so much better than just a big iPod touch. The size of the screen makes it a very different experience. I can already tell, using a mouse and keyboard is going to get old fast.
* It’s got great heft and feel. It feels tough and substantial, but the 1.5 lbs weight is going to take some getting used to. In fact, it’s heavy. Definitely need an armrest. Next model will likely be plastic backed. The glass screen makes it top heavy, especially when typing it portrait mode.
* At first I thought the screen was scratched — but there are shooting time lapse images of stars on the Home screen wallpaper. Hard to believe Steve Jobs didn’t spot this.
* The screen is bright and very sharp. HD video looks astonishing.
* It picks up greasy fingerprints super fast — in spite of the oleophobic coating.
* Out of the box it won’t turn on until you set it up through iTunes.
* Set up is super simple. Connect to iTunes (you need version 9.1) and there’s two choices: start from scratch or back up from iPhone.
* The UI is very fast. Apps launch instantly.
* Being able to put six apps in the dock is awesome. Many features like this and the custom wallpaper need to make it to the iPhone. Bookmarks bar in Safari is very nice.
* Keyboard needs work. Very difficult to type in portrait mode. In landscape, the keyboard dominates the screen. Might be a deal breaker for some.
* iPhone apps look horrible, especially Facebook.
* Some apps have bugs, due to lack of hardware availability to developers. Simulators can only do so much. Expect firmware upgrade soon as well as many app updates.
* The iPad’s speaker is pretty loud and perfectly adequate for watching TV or movies, even with background noise.

Overall a good product but will become an awesome product when people’s favorite apps are optimized for the iPad. A firmware update is needed to work out some bugs. Perfect for relaxing at home or on a plane. Not ready for the working world. iWork just not quite good enough due to file management constraints.

Please chip in your impressions in the comments. What do you guys think?

Here’s the user manual for the iPad. It’s a single sheet that shows the layout of the three buttons. That’s it.

There’s some info about syncing on the back, and I know there’s a bunch of guided tour videos on Apple’s website, but this is a stark illustration of the radical simplicity of the device. And it is radical. You need no introduction. You pick it up and use it: no RTFM necessary.

(The backside picture is after the jump. It says download the latest version of iTunes and plug in your iPad to sync.)

Here are CoM’s obligatory iPad unboxing pix. The biggest surprise is the lack of a cleaning cloth (the iPad is already sticky with greasy little prints). There’s also the austere minimalism of the box’s contents. There’s hardly anything in it.

If you’re looking to score an iPad this AM, it may be wise to check the shopping site Milo.com before heading out.

The site has a page listing the availability of iPads at Apple’s retail stores and Best Buy.

The system hooks into the internal stocking systems at Best Buy and thousands of other retail stores (not sure how it has data from Apple).

Milo.com, tracks the real-time in-store availability of Best Buy products, and almost 50,000 other retail stores nationwide. No more driving to or calling all of the Best Buy stores in a hundred mile radius to locate what you are looking for. Early adopters in hot iPad pursuit can simply enter their location and type “iPad” on the Milo.com Web site or from their mobile phones and Milo.com will find the nearest Best Buy location with it in stock.

Here’s the 15th guy in line at San Fancisco’s Best Buy on Harrison Street (the one sitting down). Everyone behind him — and there’s about half-a-dozen — better have both fingers crossed. There’s reportedly only 15 iPads at each Best Buy (but the limit is one-per-customer). Doors open any minute now. Good luck guys!

UPDATE: @Brent Jones in the comments says Best Buy seems to have plenty of iPads. “A Best Buy in St. Louis had at least 30 or 40 on hand. People walking up after the 10 a.m. opening had no problem getting one.”