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I had my first opportunity to setup the iPad the other day, and it was pretty smooth.  I am still a little frustrated that you cannot set up itunes without having to put in a credit card or gift card.  Why not allow people to set up the account and then if they want to purchase, they have to provide the info.  I digress…back to the setup.  I saw a couple of instructions on sites like Gizmodo, and they were pretty nice instructions, however, I did realize they missed some steps.

The first step they left out of the write-up, was that you have to have a computer, and that computer has to have itunes 9.1 set up on it.  If you do not have a computer, oddly enough, there are still people who do not have a computer, you can have the Apple Store, where you purchase the iPad set it up for you and it takes only a couple of minutes.  The next step is to connect  your iPad to the computer and register it within itunes – do not accept all of the default options.

The last instruction given above is very important, especially if you only have the 16GB model of the iPad.  If you choose the defaults, and choose to sync all of your itunes to the iPad, you will fill it up instantly and will not be able to use it.  You will have to go through and clear it all out.

You will also need to have Mac OS 10.5.8 and up, it will not work on any other Mac OS, if you are a Mac user.  For PC users, you have to have Windows XP Service Pack 3 and up.

So, here are the quick, down and dirty steps (assuming you have all of the above already set up):

1.  Unpack the iPad from the box
2.  Connect the power cord and usb cord to the iPad
3.  Connect the usb to the computer (PC or Mac)
4.  Open itunes and go through the setup/registration wizard
5.  Make sure to initally uncheck the box that asks to sync your itunes library to your iPad
6.  Click to Finish the setup and you are done

That’s it!  If you have everything you need, it really only takes a minute or two to plug in and get it working.  From there, you can use your iPad without your computer.  Happy apping!

With how the tech world is shaping our lives, it is evident how technology and gadgets entice our children.  I have two young boys, and both know how to maneuver around a computer – both Desktop models and Laptops.  they both even know how to use the track-pad on a laptop, which is a feat not easily handled by some older laptop users (support many users with laptops and you would understand).  The PeeWee Power Laptop is the perfect machine for younger users.  It comes with a pre-installed version of XP and is ready to use immediately.

This is a very resilient machine, that is very well protected against youngsters and their accidental drops and has a spill-proof keyboard.  This rugged peewee is outfitted with an Atom processor, 30GB HD space, 1GB RAM, WiFi, 4-cell battery, and an 8.9″ screen and will run you around $500.  A little pricey for a kids laptop, but with the protection is offers, it sounds like a good deal.

Interested in the PeeWee for your tyke?  Visit PeeWeePC.

Believe it or not, Microsoft is looking to give away MS Office 2010 for free.  Well, a stripped down version of it.  It plans to work with PC manufacturers to set a lite MS Office Suite onto new computers and allow users to upgrade to the full suite whenever they want.

Microsoft is also going to be offering the Office Suite as an online app for free.  Office Starter, which is the name of this lite version of Office, will come with a slimmed down version of Word and Excel.

“People will be exposed to the Office 2010 experience from the minute they turn on that PC,” Microsoft Business Division President Stephen Elop said Wednesday in an interview here. Microsoft is estimating that 80 percent of new PCs sold at retail after the launch of Office 2010 will have the starter edition of Office pre-installed, he said.

The Product Key cards (see left), will be shipped to retail stores and placed strategically around the store where every opportunity will be to pick up one of these cards.  By using these cards, Microsoft can have the inventory take up less room and be held in more stores.

You can see a short video on this suite on the MSDN site from October 2009.

 Hyundai announced at the New York Auto Show, this week, that it will come with an electronic tablet.  No mention of what version or provider of the tablet yet, but surely Hyundai sees that there is a need or want to do away with printed material with its vehicles.

Instead of getting the normal owners manual, you will be equipped with an e-tablet to get more info about your car, work with dealers and service, etc.  It is rumored that Apple is the front runner here, but we will see.

  Anyone who went to Google today, go a good April fool’s joke.  For the day, Google “changed” its name to Topkea.  Pretty neat prank Google.  This was in return for the Mayor of Topeka, saying it was changing the name of the city to Google in a statement last month.  So, to return the favor, Google became Topeka for the day.

(photo: cnet)

View the latest photo gallery from cnet on their most anticipated phones of 2010.  They have a nice photo gallery of the hottest phones for this year.  Their gallery includes:  The HTC Legend, Windows Phone 7 Series, Samsung Galaxy S, Motorola i1, Kyocera Zio M6000, Nexus One for Verizon, HTC Desire, Dell Aero (AT&T) and the Palm Pre Plus (AT&T).

View the Galler and review here at cnet.

 It has been reported that again, the JooJoo Tablet’s launch date to the public has been pushed back again.  It was supposed to be released today, but another setback due to legal issues again forced the pause.

Fusion Garage says that the 90 pre-ordered tablets are in Los Angeles after getting stuck in customs.  What this means to those pre-orders is that Fusion Garage is hoping for an April 1st or 2nd delivery date.  It seems that there is still some rumbling from the still lingering TechCrunch lawsuit against Fusion Garage.

Just finished watching How to Train Your Dragon with my family, and I highly recommend this movie.  I would give it 7 out of 10 stars.  It was engaging and interesting for both children and adults.  This is one of the best children’s movies we have seen in a while.

Even though it was opening weekend, and the theater was not packed, this movie is well worth seeing with your kids.  The story line and animation were done really well.  If you need a family friendly movie to see that will keep your kids in there seats and interested, this is the one.

Another hit for Dreamworks here!

With Malware becoming as problematic or even worse than virus’ these days, you need some tools at your disposal that will help you fight them.  Your first line of defense is to always be web-safe.  Do not open any email attachments you are unfamiliar with or even open emails that you do not know who it is from, or if you do not recognize.  Second, be careful of the websites you visit, as there are many malware and virus programs that can attack your computer through malicious web sites.

I recommend the following programs for fast, free scanning and help with removing malware and spyware.  These tools are not always 100% efffective, as some malware and virus’ dig so deep into either memory or your system that they are almost impossible to remove and a re-install is warranted.

CCleaner which is a registry and system cleaning tool.

Super Anti-SpywareWare which will scan your system and memory for malware.

SpyBot Search & Destroy , which will search for virus like spyware and malware.

Symantec’s free online Scanner. (requires Active X download)

McAfee’s free online Scanner.

Utilizing these tools along with a sound backup plan will help you in an emergency.  These are not replacements for you to purchase or get a freeware version of virus and malware protection so this does not happen.

This is the M-Edge watertight carry case for the 6″ Kindle.  Why destroy your newest e-reader when you can protect it from rain, spills, etc?  This case allows you to fully use your Kindle while it is in the case.  It will even float in water due to its internal bouyancy chamber.

This bad-boy is made of a transparent polycarbonate base that allows for you to drop it from short distances as well (like from your lap to the floor) – don’t drop it from your roof to see what will happen.    There is also an anti-reflective film protects the screen from glare, so feel free to read it on the beach.

Find out more at the MediaEdge store.