Apple introduced the hotly anticipated “iPad”, which is basically just a giant iPhone or iPod touch.  I, and I think it’s safe to say that most people, wanted the below:

There is one “feature” that I find interesting…apparently, the 3G service from AT&T will be month-to-month, non-contractual, and can be activated or deactivated at any time from the device itself.  Oh, and it’s SIM unlocked, so you can put any SIM with a data plan in there.

(is it just me, or does the name “iPad” sound like some sort of technologically advanced tampon?)

Retail sales in NYC have fallen 8-10 percent from 2008, yet Apple has increased 2.5 percent and may be the highest grossing Fifth Avenue retailer.

Apple’s Fifth Avenue emporium probably has annual sales of more than $350 million, topping any of the chain’s other outlets, said Jeffrey Roseman, executive vice president of real- estate broker Newmark Knight Frank Retail in New York. The location is 10,000 square feet, putting its sales per square foot at a minimum of $35,000, based on Roseman’s estimate.

That’s the equivalent of selling one Mercedes-Benz C300 sedan per square foot. Apple may be the highest grossing retailer ever on Fifth Avenue, said Faith Hope Consolo, chairman of the retail leasing and sales division at Manhattan-based Prudential Douglas Elliman Real Estate.

About two weeks ago I was in both Tiffany’s and Apple at about the same time on successive weekdays, and the difference in the amount of people (and people actually buying) was beyond compare.  I had no problem browsing every counter on the main floor and the third floor in Tiffany’s, and was constantly asked if I needed assistance.  In contrast, every table in the Apple store was jam packed with people, sometimes three deep waiting to play with a Mac or an iPod/iPhone, and the line to purchase general items was 20 minutes long.

Let me make sure you understand exactly what the above means…in the 5th Ave store, if you want to buy a Mac, iPhone, or iPod, you do so at small, dedicated “kiosks” around the main floor; if a salesperson assists you in deciding which third-party radio/iPod dock you should buy for your iPod or whatever else they sell there, they check you out right there with your credit card using a wireless doohicky; the only people standing on the general cash register line are people who are paying cash, or who are buying boxed products and weren’t lucky enough to get help from the roving Apple staff…even with 10+ cash registers servicing the line, it was still 20 minutes.

After my visits to both Tiffany’s and Apple, I bought more Apple stock.  The difference between the day it opened and the middle of a major recession was nil.

13-year-old swaps his iPod for a Sony cassette Walkman for a week

Scott Campbell (the 13-year-old in question):

It took me three days to figure out that there was another side to the tape. That was not the only naive mistake that I made; I mistook the metal/normal switch on the Walkman for a genre-specific equaliser, but later I discovered that it was in fact used to switch between two different types of cassette.

Kindle 2 gets opened up

The folks at iFixit have already gotten their hands, and screwdrivers, on Amazon’s Kindle 2.  They took it apart and found out that it’s using a faster processor than an iPhone 3G.

To be fair, it’s using the same processor as the more recently updated iPod touch.  I assume that that is now the slowest ARM processor that you can place new orders for.

Casinos on lookout for card-counting iPhone app

Howard Stutz writes:

It also operates in the “stealth mode,” in which the phone’s screen is shut off. The program can be run effortlessly without detection as long as the user knows where the keys are.

I assume all iPhones/iPods will be banned from the tables.

Boy do I need that app.  I’m horrible at blackjack.

Adrienne So at Slate wonders if a bra could use breast motion to power an iPod?

LaJean Lawson, a former professor of exercise science at Oregon State University:

“It’s just a matter of finding the sweet spot, between reducing motion to the point where it’s comfortable but still allowing enough motion to power your iPod.”

Lawson further explains:

“Let’s face it—if you’re a double-A marathoner, you’re probably not going to get that iPod up and running.”

When I first saw it, I thought the iDump was just about the most ridiculous iPod accessory I’ve ever seen.  However, after thinking about it in depth, I realize it’s actually quite smart.  Watching a short Bugs Bunny or Tom & Jerry cartoon might be a perfect way to pass the time while doing some business.

Of course, if I’ve eaten Indian food, I could probably watch Gandhi.