Park Bench Software has fallen afoul of CBS over the former’s Star Trek inspired diagnostic application, DiagnosticPADD, which uses an interface lifted from the PADD device used by the crew members of the USS Enterprise NCC 1701-D in Star Trek: The Next Generation.

It’s worth noting that while Park Bench Software never cites Star Trek in the app or the app description, it appears that CBS is well within its rights here to force the removal of DiagnosticPADD from the App Store. After all, they own the trademark on PADD, and the applications’ interface is clearly modeled after the LCARS computer interface, which CBS has a copyright for.

That said, it’s rather sad that CBS decided to go the C&D route here when they could have just had a conversation with Park Bench Software and licensed them to release an officially sanctioned Star Trek version of DiagnosticPADD. Surely that would have been a better version for everyone: CBS, Park Bench and the fans.

Facebook is yet to release an official application for the iPad, and with its founder Mark Zuckerberg claiming the device was “not mobile,” we’re not likely to see one anytime soon. Zuckerberg wants us to use Facebook in our iPad’s web browser, which is fine for some, but others prefer a dedicated application that brings simple photo and video uploading, better chat support, and a user interface better suited to a touchscreen device.

It’s no wonder, then, that iOS developers have attempted to fill this void, and are slowly started to introduce their own third-party Facebook applications to the App Store. We’ve selected the best apps currently available for getting your Facebook fix on your iPad.

Check them out after the break!

id software is a game developing company known for pushing the hardware of any platform they embrace, starting from their earliest triumphs on the PC with Wolfenstein 3D, Doom and Quake and continuing last year with Rage HD on iOS.

Don’t expect to see id software release their games on Android any time soon, though. It’s just not worth their effort, and it’s all about the benjamins… or at least jacksons.

Shortly after the release of iOS 4.3.2 yesterday, hackers discovered that the firmware update can be jailbroken successfully with the latest version of Redsn0w and PwnageTool bundles. These are, however, tethered jailbreaks – which means you’ll need to connect your device to your computer every time you need to reboot.

Though it’s possible to jailbreak the latest iOS release, it is still a good idea to stay away from the update for the time being if jailbreaking your device is important to you. There is yet to be an announcement from the Dev-Team regarding a jailbreak for this firmware, and there’s a chance you may lose your untethered jailbreak completely if you upgrade.

If you’re an Apple fan (and if you’re reading this, it’s probably safe to assume you are), you’ve probably heard of these neat pillows from Throwboy.com. Throwboy makes a whole slew of cool Apple and geek inspired throw pillows. I love’em, and thought I’d be a nice guy and score some for you, our beloved Cult of Mac viewers and readers.

If you’d like to qualify to win one of these super stuffed plushes, good news, it’s super easy! Here’s how to get yourself in the running:

Doubtless because creeps look indistinguishable from the pizza delivery guy on the iPhone’s tiny, standard-def screen, Logitech yesterday released an HD, iPad-version of their remote CCTV app, Logitech Alert.  The app allows the user to monitor hi-def feeds, complete with “rich audio,” from an installed Logitech Alert CCTV camera system over the Internet.

While the app is free, the hardware starts at $300, and lets you observe a live feed from your iPad or iPhone; you can also view footage recorded onto your computer’s HD directly. An extra $80/year will net you the full Monte, allowing remote review (with an iDevice) of recorded footage from your computer’s HD.

The App’s page states “please use Wi-Fi for the best video and audio performance and experience,” which we’re assuming means the service will function over 3G, albeit most likely with hobbled performance.

Seriously: Imagine your kids being able to play around with all the wonders of physics — without the fear they might slice off a finger (or two), or burn their eyebrows off.

That’s the basic idea behind the brilliant Xperica HD for the iPad, a physics sandbox that lets high-school kids (or anyone, really) make sense of physics through playing with interactive experiments. The first four modules are free, with $4 netting the remaining half-dozen set of physics experiments.

While the first set is all about physics, the developer told us they’ll soon have experiment sets in other spheres of science (like chemistry) available soon, with some modules in each sphere being released for free — and that they might make all the modules free at some point (which might make one hesitant to buy the extra modules, we think, but there ya go).

We start the day with three hardware bargains. First up is a deal on either a MacBook or a MacBook Pro, starting out at $500. Next is an 8GB previous-generation iPod nano for $99. Finally, the spotlight focuses on a 30GB iPod video device at $115.

Along the way, we also take a look at several iPad accessories, as well as rechargers for your iPhone. As usual, details on these and many other items can be found at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page right after the jump.

After a recent photo essay showed a bunch of Italian lawmakers whiling away the hours in parliament by playing games on iPads, you might think they would become more discreet about using them. (Like the rest of us who have that fake spreadsheet at the ready should anyone interrupt our surreptitious gaming or shopping at work.)

Not so. Instead, it seems that it has become quite the fashion trend to flaunt your iPad in parliament.

Late last night, the iOS App Store experienced a wide scale bug that affected the listings of hundreds of apps. Under the app’s “Requirements” listing, a new product became listed as possibly compatible with iOS apps after iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad: “ix.Mac.MarketingName.”

What does it mean? Possibly and even probably nothing, but the “Mac” designation in the string implies a Mac that can run iOS apps.