We’ve wondered, with Atom Netbooks having been basically in pause mode technology-wise for the better part of two years, whether the popular bottom-priced product might eventually be threatened by larger, smarter smartphones and sleeker hybrid computing devices and tablets such as the iPad. It makes sense, especially with the iPad having sold a million units …

Making a device that’s somewhere between a laptop and an iPhone comes with challenges beyond app design. As I’ve been wondering since I’ve owned an iPad, what exactly makes a good iPad case? I know one thing: it’s not the same thing that makes a good iPhone case. First of all, I’m terrified to drop my iPad. I’ve heard the …

The iPad just might do to Netbooks what the iPhone did to smartphones. James Martin/CNET After a weekend of immense enthusiasm and even wide-eyed utopian futurism regarding the debut of Apple’s iPad, a bit of dust has settled. Perhaps Apple has hit the nail on the head of a new trend in future computing; perhaps this is just a bump …

In case you’ve been overwhelmed by iPad coverage these past few days (or, perhaps, weeks), the reason for the barrage is simple: to many people, this device is many things. It’s a continuation of the brilliance and categorical confusion birthed by the iPhone, only in the case of the iPad, the Swiss Army Knife has left its holster. The iPhone …

We’re rash to say something as small as a single app could be a game changer, but the recent rumors of Apple having a Netflix app ready to launch on day one for the iPad are certainly getting our attention. Links from what appear to be Apple’s own servers show two images that certainly look like Netflix on the iPad. …

Casual gaming has taken over the industry, and particularly the App Store, by force. Popcap Games is at the epicenter of it all, with several notable games–Bejeweled 2, Peggle, and now Plants vs. Zombies–being stand-outs on the iPhone. We won’t lie: we were eagerly awaiting the release date of this long-promised iPhone and iPod Touch port, having fallen into an …

Equipped with a great video player and easy touch controls, the iPhone is fast becoming a spot for Laser Disc arcade games of yore to get a second life on the go. First came Space Ace early this year, but for a roll of quarters, iPhone and iPod Touch users can now reach back into their bowling alley/arcade memories and …

Scott Stein/CNET My Thanksgiving was spent in the New York City area, since my family all live on Long Island. But, since I live in the city in an area that’s not conducive to owning or parking a car, I’m a renter when it comes to trips. As a result, services like Zipcar and other rental agencies are of great …

As if Apple and Microsoft didn’t already make it clear (editor’s note: by Apple, we mean the ever-pervasive rumors of their upcoming “slate”), 2010 looks like the Year of the Tablet. First viewed sitting on a table of an Nvidia executive, the Vega tablet will try to beat Apple’s tablet (if the rumors are true), Microsoft’s in-process Courier concept, and …

Hive for the iPhone: brilliant fun Scott Stein/CNET Back when I used to work at Sony Online Entertainment many, many years ago, I became a board game geek. The game designers and producers gathered once a week to share their sizable collections and obscure finds up in Mira Mesa, Calif., and I got hooked. The fact that the Game Keeper …