The Pope Has An iPad

And a Twitter account. Almost 1300 tweets in the first couple of days.

CHINA: Teen Sells Kidney For iPad

A teenager in China reportedly sold one of his kidneys on the black market in order to buy himself an iPad.

The 17-year-old, identified only as Little Zheng, told a local TV station he had arranged the sale of the kidney over the internet.The story only came to light after the teenager's mother became suspicious. The case highlights China's black market in organ trafficking. A scarcity of organ donors has led to a flourishing trade. It all started when the high school student saw an online advert offering money to organ donors. Illegal agents organised a trip to the hospital and paid him $3,392 (£2,077) after the operation. With the cash the student bought an iPad 2, as well as a laptop. When his mother noticed the computers and the deep red scar on his body, which was caused by the surgery, Little Zheng confessed.

Today In Useless Trivia

This here website thingy is presently running at about 1.7M - 2M pageviews per month. As you can see above, Mac owners are highly overrepresented among JMG readers, which I'm sure has something to do with y'all being all artsy and shit. Pageviews via iPad have gone up tenfold in the last couple of months, a trend I expect to continue. I do find it rather fascinating that over 10% of you are here via handheld devices.

It's A Tablet World

"Just another 'solution' in search of a need."

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

Steve Jobs Unveils iPad 2

Tweet It

Weird Al is sobbing....

MenuPad

Not very cost-effective, but whatevs.

(Via - Andrew Sullivan)

Apple Censors Gay Graphic Novels (But Not The Straight Ones)

If you want to download a graphic novelization of Oscar Wilde's The Importance Of Being Earnest to your iPad, you get the above blacked out images of men kissing. And that's only after you tell Apple that you are over the age of 17. Gizmodo has the story, as well as some screenshots of non-censored straight graphic novels.

(Tipped by JMG reader Dave)

AT&T Kills Unlimited iPhone Data Plan

Beginning Monday, new customers of AT&T will no longer be able to purchased unlimited data plans for their iPhone and iPad.

AT&T hopes to ease congestion on its network, which has drawn complaints, particularly in big cities. But the approach could confuse customers unfamiliar with how much data it takes to watch a YouTube video or fire up a favorite app. Current subscribers will be able to keep their $30-per-month unlimited plans, even if they renew their contracts. But starting Monday, new customers will have to choose one of two new data plans for all smart phones, including iPhones and BlackBerrys. Subscribers who use little data – like those who may get dozens of e-mails a day but don't watch much video – will pay slightly less every month than they do now, while heavy users will be dinged with higher bills. The move takes effect in time for the expected unveiling of Apple's new iPhone next week. Analysts said they expect other phone companies to follow. With no caps on consumption, data use could swamp wireless networks while revenue for the operators remains flat.

Here's how the new plans break down.

One of the new AT&T plans will cost $25 per month and offer two gigabytes of data per month, which AT&T says will be enough for 98 percent of its smart phone customers. Additional gigabytes will cost $10 each. A second plan will cost $15 per month for 200 megabytes of data, which AT&T says is enough for 65 percent of its smart phone customers. If they go over, they'll pay another $15 for 200 more megabytes. A gigabyte is enough for hundreds of e-mails and Web pages, but it's quickly eaten up by Internet video and videoconferencing. The 200 megabytes offered under the $15 plan is enough for more than 1,000 e-mails, hundreds of Web pages and about 20 minutes of streaming video, AT&T says.

Family Research Council Applauds Steve Jobs For Porn-Free iPad

The Family Research Council would like you to know that they are VERY appreciative of Steve Jobs' attempts to keep Apple devices free of nasty porn.

The new Apple iPad offers consumers plenty of things--including "freedom from porn," according to chief executive Steve Jobs. In an exchange with blogger Ryan Tate, who disagreed with the suggestion that the iPad is a revolution, Jobs said, "[This is about] freedom"--including, he wrote, "freedom from porn." Tate accused the company of "imposing...morality" on customers. "Porn is just fine!" the reporter insisted. The Apple boss disagreed. "You might care about porn when you have kids." In an era of corporate irresponsibility, it's nice to see one company taking a step in the right direction. Unfortunately, the Apple Empire has a little farther to go. For now, users can still download Playboy apps, but this is certainly a good start. While some executives try to out-sleaze their competition, we're grateful that Jobs is trying to keep the iPad from becoming an eyesore.

Steve Jobs wants freedom from porn. And Flash!

Open Thread Thursday

Tell us how technology has changed your reading habits. Kindle? iPad? Internet-only? Dead trees? What are you reading right now and how are you reading it?

The iPad DJ

JMG reader Mikey tips us to this gal who says she's the world's first iPad DJ. (This might be interesting to clubheads and fanboys only.) Jump ahead to the 10:00 mark for a demo of Daft Punk's amusing iDaft program. I still miss vinyl.

Where The Fanboys Live

According to a survey of the 206 top metropolitan areas in the U.S., the #1 market for owning any Apple product is, surprise, the Bay Area. Fortune reports:

In a report issued Friday, Experian Simmons surveyed 206 so-called DMAs (designated market areas, or what we used to call "cities") and identified those that have the highest concentration of Apple (AAPL) users. The idea was to anticipate in what parts of the continental U.S. consumers were most likely to line up for the new iPad based on their known propensity to own or use iPods, iPhones or Macs. The result is the color coded map shown above and the list of the top 10 markets pasted below (the numbers and the commentary is Experian Simmons').

1. San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose, CA: With Silicon Valley and Apple headquarters located squarely within the market’s boundaries, it’s no surprise that the San Francisco-Oakland-San Jose DMA ranks number one in the nation for owning or using one of the core Apple products. Residents here are 49% more likely than the average American to own or use an iPod, iPhone or Mac computer.
2. Boston, MA: Almost one-in-three adults in the Boston DMA (31.3%) own or use an iPod, iPhone or Mac computer making area residents 45% more likely than average to be Mac maniacs. And with 11 Apple stores located within the Boston DMA, residents never have to go far for their Apple fix.
3. San Diego, CA: San Diego-area residents are 42% more likely than the average American to be toting around an iPod, chatting on an iPhone or computing on a Mac. In fact, 31.8% of the San Diego DMA’s 2.2 million adults are admitted Mac users.

See the rest of the top ten here. NYC is #4.

Ipad Banned In Israel

The Israeli government has banned Apple's iPad, saying its wireless signal is too strong and could interfere with devices that operate at a lower power.

The Ministry of Communications said the ban was instituted earlier this week because the iPad's Wi-Fi wireless technology was built to the U.S. standard, which allows stronger signals than those allowed in Europe and Israel. "This device's wireless strengths violate Israeli law and will overpower other wireless devices in Israel," ministry spokesman Yechiel Shavi said. Mr. Shavi said once Apple releases a version of the device built according to European wireless specifications, the ban will be reversed. An Apple spokeswoman said the "iPad complies with international industry standards for Wi-Fi specifications." The decision has left many scratching their heads. Travelers have been bringing laptops and cellphones configured to U.S. standards, including other Apple devices with the same wireless configuration, into Israel for years without incident. Some Israeli lawmakers alleged on Friday the decision undermines Israel's status as a global leader in the high-tech industry.

Industry experts say the iPad's wi-fi signal is actually weaker than comparable devices already sold in Israel.

How To Print From Your iPad

(Via - Engadget)

And When You Flip The Car, The iPad Screen Conveniently Auto-Rotates

Somebody's already mounted their iPad on their dashboard.

Will The iPad Save Print?

A few fanboys have been lined up outside Manhattan's Fifth Avenue store for days already, but the scene isn't remotely like for the iPhone launch as only those with pre-orders will get their machine tomorrow. But some folks like to be FIRST! as YouTube tells us every day. Apple expects to sell 7 million units this year and are forecasting 20M annually by 2012.