> > View all The guys behind the new modulR line of iPad cases have a clever idea: Let one case take on multiple identities through a variety of add-ons. The basic case is a hard plastic shell that protects the iPad in use. Its rubberized edges grip the tablet securely, while little “nubs” on the back give your hand something more to grip onto than the iPad’s normally slick exterior. They also help raise the device off…  Read More →

Apple on Wednesday morning released a minor update for its mobile operating system iOS 4, which includes bug fixes and a new photography mode. Apple last week said iOS 4.1 would address a proximity-sensor issue in the iPhone 4 and sluggish performance on the iPhone 3G, among other flaws. In terms of features, iOS 4.1 introduces Game Center, a social network for iOS gamers, as well as high dynamic range (HDR) photo processing , which Wired.com... 

Most of us can’t fully succumb to our technolust until we’ve seen a finished gadget in use. Here’s the dirty secret, though — none of your perverted fantasies about multiple-touchscreen smartphones can be realized until someone makes a dual-core chip that would know what to do with them. Samsung’s new Orion 1GHz dual-core ARM microprocessor could make those kinky dreams come true. Samsung…  Read More →

Our nimble friends at iFixit have already pried open the new iPod Shuffle that Apple just announced last week. The verdict: The Shuffle is a tightly packed contraption of extremely puny parts and connectors, making it very difficult to disassemble for repairs. Most notably, the Shuffle is powered by a puny 3.7-volt battery capable of pumping out 15 hours of audio playback, according to Apple’s specifications page . The battery is soldered... 

The Nuu Mini Key case takes a perfectly respectable iPhone 4 and turns it into a big, fat, ugly slab of corporate crap, which looks and works just like every other smartphone with a slide-out landscape QWERTY. I might not be the best person to judge, as I actually type faster on virtual keyboards than on actual real physical keyboards, but it seems silly to add little plastic chiclets to what it arguably the best soft-keyboard around. If you... 

This weekend, I’m going to be sparking up the grill with the Looftlighter, an electric firestarter that looks like an oversized curling iron, sounds like a hair dryer, and gets a good-sized pile of charcoal briquettes ready to grill in just a few minutes. I’ll admit I was skeptical about the $80 Looftlighter , which comes from Sweden and whose name, I believe, must be pronounced with as much Nordic accent as you can muster. It’s... 

> A photo of a train making a stop. Standard version on top, HDR version on bottom. > View all A software update for Apple’s mobile operating system is due for release next week, and Wired.com has had hands-on time with a major new feature of the OS: high-dynamic range photography. HDR, an automated processing feature aiming to deliver a “dummy-proof” photography method, will be included with the camera app on all iPhones... 

While winding down from Wednesday’s iPod announcements, Apple CEO Steve Jobs appears to have taken some time to respond to an e-mail criticizing the new look of the iTunes icon. Joshua Kopac, who oversees design work for advertising firm ValuLeads, sent Jobs an e-mail blasting the new iTunes icon (right) — a blue bubble containing a music note, replacing the old icon of a music note floating above a compact disc. Jobs said on Wednesday... 

Last weekend Jeremy Hart — Wired.com contributor and a global traveller with 120 countries under his belt — left Los Angeles for a 60 day, 21 country, 15,000 mile drive around the world — in a Ford Fiesta . Jeremy will be filing occasional updates here and on our sister blog Autopia. Here, he’ll be reporting on how well his various gadgets work in some of earth’s most amazing locations. – If you were the fisherman... 

                    This week’s episode of the Gadget Lab podcast is heavy on fruits. High on vitamin A, Dylan Tweney gushes over the pluot, a plum-apricot hybrid, while yours truly dishes out this week’s announcements of brand new Apple gear. Apple’s iPod family all scored major upgrades. The iPod Nano has become…  Read More →

Kindle DX Promotional Photo from Amazon.com It’s easy to figure out why e-readers and tablets are the size that they are: They’re all about the size of paperback books, whether trade (iPad) or mass-market (the Kindle 3). Some oversized models, like the Kindle DX, are closer to big hardcovers. But why are books the size that they are? It …  Read More →

> > View all This is adorable: a tiny charcoal BBQ grill using an Altoids Sours tin, two metal computer fan guards, and some sheet metal screws for legs. It looks like it fits one regular-sized briquette. As one of the commentors notes, this is great for marshmallows, but you could also cook a shrimp at a time. Making it doesn’t require tools more sophisticated than a Dremel – no soldering, no nothing. Release the GeekDads. You could... 

Interactive Map of Afghanistan for iPad. Image By/Used Courtesy Of Development Seed GPS maps for smartphones generally require a fairly high-speed wireless internet connection, consume significant processor resources, and are optimized for driving. But what if your 3G connection is unreliable or unavailable, and you still need to get from point A to point B — perhaps on foot? Last week, I spoke with Eric Gunderson and Ian Cairns…  Read More →

The official Twitter app for iPad is finally here, and star developer Loren Brichter has polished yet another gem. Twitter for iPad sports a really elegant interface that’s significantly faster and more intuitive than competing Twitter clients we’ve tested (such as Twitterific and Tweetdeck). Formerly called Tweetie , Brichter’s popular iPhone app impressed the big wigs at Twitter headquarters who ultimately hired the talented... 

Image from Samsung Korea, via Gregory Han at Apartment Therapy Unpluggd All-in-one printer/scanner/fax machines are so yesterday. Maybe the way to go is with better, single purpose devices: A compact, portable scanner combined with a fast, monochrome laser printer. I hate my all-in-one machine. It sits on my desk, filled up with its expensive color ink cartridges, mocking me. I never print photos or make copies, and I don’t have a land...