Being an early adopter has its ups and downs. We tend to buy unbaked, buggy, unrefined products whose companies, and future users, are relying on us to provide useful feedback as a method of insight into the next iterations. I am fully aware of the pitfalls and dangerous grounds of being an early adopter as I have been burned in the past. For anyone who pre-ordered a JooJoo, my heart goes out to you.

As of late, my last major leaps into the valleys of the early adopter world have been nothing short of amazing experiences. Why’s that? Well, my last few major purchases have all been tested, refined and spit out of the Cupertino offices in sunny California. Yes, between my first gen aluminum iMac, iPhone and MacBook Pro, my experiences have been nothing short of amazing.

Now, you may have looked at the iPhone as a leap of faith back in 2007 on that blistering hot day in June. But I saw it as an opportunity– an opportunity to go where no man had gone before. I was going to have a phone with a brain and flawless execution. Well, this time around my leap of faith was a little bit rougher. Here I was faced with not only a new product, but a product that had NEVER been in existence to human kind before.

The following questions lingered inside for months: where am I going to use this? That on-screen keyboard might be terribly sucky. How am I possibly going to give all my gadgety products all of the attention they long for each day? After all, this is supposed to do it all, with the exception of making (non voip) phone calls.

Incase you hadn’t figured it out by now, this “magical and revolutionary device” is indeed the iPad. I’m guessing the article’s title gave that away anyway though. It has been an entire week and I could not be more pleased. Over the last 168 hours, my iPad has been with me every step of the way. I could be wrong but I think my MacBook shed a tear the other day while I was comfortably browsing the web with one hand and a finger.

Emailing, surfing, consuming oh my! And the apps? Oh the apps are amazing! I feel like there is not a single feature set or functionality point that my iPad would fail at. Sure, it doesn’t have a camera or support an over-allegiance to one popular, closed content producing codec. But heck, that’s what innovation is all about…right? Apple is single handedly spurring mass interest into an exciting new way of animated coding, and I see nothing wrong with that. Some of the greatest inventions in history would have never been created had their creator stuck to the norm.

All in all, the iPad rocks! Denying the iPad’s usefulness by only comparing the number of USB ports, screen sizes, tech specs and peripheral support to other yet to be released products has absolutely no bearing or justification when this device falls within your hands. Apple has done it again and my leap of faith for their next big thing is already solidified.

Who said that the iPad and ChatRoulette weren’t compatible? This video will defy all odds. During the making of this video, I sacrificed numerous encounters of penises and signs asking me to show my boobs. I also discovered that nobody realizes who Kiefer Sutherland is unless he is stabbing terrorist and yelling at Chloe. Enjoy!

Let’s face it. The iPad is an amazingly portable device but there are just some places it should never come along for the ride. I explore a few options in this video.

If you are anything like me, for the past 7 days you have spent at least 168 hours (you do the math) with the magical thing. Well, throughout my obsessive, week-long, love affair I have discovered a few Easter Eggs, as well as, devised a few tips and tricks.

The coolest of them all was discovering that embedded mp3 audio and podcast continue to stream even while browsing other applications and web pages. Though primitive in nature, this is surely an oversight on Apples part. Please note that embedded videos will not continue to play, only audio. To turn the audio off you must either begin to play audio from another source within the iPad or return to the original browser and tap the pause icon.

The other finds and tips aren’t as nearly as exciting but rather useful. In the short video you will see new multitouch gestures specific to the iPad, how to quickly mute your device, defaulting to mobile facebook and a possible hint into the future of iPad multi tasking. Video after the break.

Try out the background audio for yourself: http://espn.go.com/nba/dailydime/_/page/dime-freeagencywade-100409/dwyane-wade

Here are some apps that just might get you by if you aren’t willing to spend $19.99 for the ever so popular productivity app “Things” for the iPad. These all retail under $5.00 with most being absolutely free..me likey that.

Apps Reviewed:
Evernote
GoDocs
Memeo Connect Reader
3banana
EasyTaskPad

I just came across something verrry interesting. I just noticed the screen rotate lock that we have recently seen appear on the iPad OS but on my iPhone. C’mon Apple can you just unlock some of the features we already have. Here’s what I have going on to make it happen. my iPhone 3GS is connected to my MacBook Pro, as well as my iPad (I’m not sure if that has something to do with it). It doesn’t seem like the “ringer” switch triggers or affects it as you can see.

Let me know if anybody else can replicate the same awesomeness. Thanks.

Features just keep rolling out. Looks like Apple is supporting internet search through their Spotlight Search Bar. I’ve been wanting this every since the Spotlight bar made it to the 3.0 update many many moons ago. Thanks Steve.

So it really happened!! We all thought that this would be something that only our grandchildren’s children would be able to experience. The iPhone will have MULTI-TASKING people! Jump off a roof, slap a random stranger or anything you feel like to celebrate this monumental day.

In actuality, only developers will be able to get super excited being that they are the only ones with access to the build right now. But I’m still pretty stoked! Check out my video as I talk through some of the other announcements revealed today. Thanks.

Hmm…we all want some goodies…. Will Apple give in?

Here I review the standard Apple iPad Case. I also will review the Incase Convertible Book Jacket. Who will win??? Whooohaahaa

Here I review my Top 10 iPad App UI’s. Enjoy

Good thing that Apple press events mute the audience gasps, quiet chuckles and your occasional OMFGs. I say this because, even though I have never attended a single Apple Press conference, I’m pretty sure all of the aforementioned humanly sounds have been candidly emitted during past events. Some out of pure amazement, some of them out of the sheer “OMFG did El Jobso just do that”  factor.

Anywho, I was one of the ones who laughed when Stevie boy proclaimed that the iPad invited flawless typing. Well, I was completely wrong. The iPad, when angled accordingly, provides effortless typing which still kind of stuns me. Check the vid to see a short demo of what takes place…it’s a little scary.