You’ve heard the jokes about the name, you’ve heard all of the media coverage, and you might have even seen Stephen Colbert at the Grammys with one.  And it’s also possible that you might still be on the fence when it comes to buying the once highly anticipated and now highly overhyped iPads.  Although it arguably isn’t exactly the paradigm shifter than many claimed it would be, the iPad still does have a few good points.  We’ll help you sort out if it’s worth $500 of your hard earned money in handy sound byte fashion below.

Why You’d Love an iPad

It’s a great fresh approach to a home computer.  More than likely, you’ll want to sit on the couch just browsing the web or photos once you get home from work and away from a traditional mouse and keyboard PC or Mac.  An iPad might just be a great new way of doing just that.

It’s also a fantastic eReader.  It may take a year or so for publishers to come to grasp with the device, but it’s easy to see how this might be a fantastic platform to read newspapers and magazines on.  You do remember those, right?

It’s got a lot more processing horsepower.  This is another case of where it’s going to take time to developers to catch up, but the increased speed of this device is going to make for some really great apps.  And also, some really great games.

Yes, it’s through Satan (AT&T), but the data plan for the iPad is really nice.  If you would only use it here and there, you can get a capped plan at just fifteen bucks a month.  If you need an all you can eat plan, it’s only thirty a month.  But perhaps best of all, it’s uncontracted.  If you just need it for one month, you can just buy  it for that time period.  You won’t be locked into an agreement and can just get a months worth of data whenever you need it.

Why You’ll Hate This Thing

If you have an iPhone or iPod Touch, you already have an iPad Nano.  Other than coming with a much bigger screen, the iPad does very little that previously existing iPhone OS devices do not.  Another drawback here is that the iPhone OS can be pretty limiting depending on how you need to use it.  It won’t have anything like the OS X finder, meaning you can’t directly access files outside of apps.  Which in of itself could be a dealbreaker for power users.

The backwards compatibility sucks.  Yes, you’ll be able to get all kinds of iPhone apps and games on day one on this device.  But they’re either going to take up a laughably small portion of the big screen, or they’re going to be stretched and pixelated beyond recognition.

The price isn’t as great as Apple is trying to convince you it is.  Five hundred bucks is just about what you’d be paying for an unlocked iPhone free of AT&T’s shackles, which is essentially what this is.  Except it doesn’t make calls, doesn’t take pictures, and doesn’t fit in your pocket.  What it does do nicely that other iPhone OS devices doesn’t is serve as an eReader.  If you want that, the Amazon Kindle is less than half of the price and twice as nice on your eyes.

Overall, you’re probably going to know fairly quickly if the iPad is for you or not.  If you’ve already got a ton of similar devices sitting around, you likely won’t find much space for this in your life.  However, if you just have a need for a simple computer in your home that doesn’t take a lot of space or hassle, the iPad might be for you.

| 7855Leave a Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/scitech/the-case-for-and-against-the-ipad/The+Case+For+%28And+Against%29+The+iPad2010-02-01+16%3A10%3A26Daniel Tags: Apple, ipad, iphone

For as long as most of us veterans of Nightly can remember, our video game forum has held a yearly poll to see which is our favorite game of the past year.  As it’s generally understood that video games are far more important a topic than religion or politics, the vote is typically a very contested one.  After a relatively bloodless vote this year, Nightly has come up with it’s game of the year for 2009.

Narrowly edging out in a large pool of contestants this year is Call of Duty: Modern Warfare 2.  Whether it actually exists as Call of Duty 6 or a second installation in a new Modern Warfare IP is an argument for another day, but if the thread covering it last year is any indication, Nightly’s choice this year is at least one that shouldn’t end in too many tears.  Below are a few choice quotes from some of our users.

Gog: “Borrowed the game from my friend today. Beat the campaign in a little over 5 hours. The game was phenomenal as far as graphics, gameplay, story, acting. It really felt like a cinematic experience.”

Gamevet: “The online experience isn’t quite that straight forward; it’s sort of like having an RPG character, in that you level up your weapons and gear with the experience you acquire. You can create a ton of different load out options with all of the perks and weapons builds you open up with experience.”

Ashaman: “Loved the game and hated it at the same time. I bought it late Saturday afternoon and beat it Sunday night on Vet… and that was with little more than playing for an hour or 2 at a time 4 times. 8 friggin’ hours of main storyline and a storyline that has tons of loose ends. Too much like Halo 2 for me, but still loved it all the way through.”

Rock: “It rocks, but I suck.”

We also have a three way tie for our runner up.  Nightly has also selected Batman: Arkham Asylum, Uncharted 2: Among Thieves and Dragon Age: Origins as our honorary also-rans for 2009.  Come back and play again in around a year, and in the meantime be sure to look for Rock if you are playing online and are looking for an easy kill.

| 7851Leave a Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/gaming/nightlys-2009-video-game-of-the-year/Nightly%27s+2009+Video+Game+of+the+Year2010-01-22+19%3A44%3A27Daniel Tags: 2009, Call or Duty, Game of the Year, Modern Warfare 2

Allright, so the overly covered Civil War at NBC over The Tonight Show pales in importance in comparison to the tragedy happening in Haiti over the past week.  It’s honestly silly to even compare the two.  However, there is a bit of cultural poignancy that can be found in all of the uproar as to whether or not Jay or Conan should be the figurehead at the historic show.  If the Facebook networking and rallies yesterday are any indication, the lines are pretty clearly drawn between two separate generations that are both coming to terms with changing media.

As of this morning, the I’m With CoCo Facebook group is getting close to having 400,000 members.  Granted, internet advocacy has to be taken very lightheartedly as all it typically takes to “protest” is a few mouse clicks taken from your comfortable office chair.  Which is usually the case with most online movements, but the I’m With CoCo rallies spilled out in big numbers into the streets of NYC and LA yesterday.  Perhaps it is a little embarrassing that it takes the nasty removal of a late night hero to spark spirited protest in the street, but it does go to show that the slacker generation does take certain things seriously and are willing to go outside and fight for them.

Conan did a comedy bit on Monday’s Tonight Show that showed a fake pro-NBC protest down the street that had only a few tumbleweeds and a jackass uncoincidentally strolling by.  This actually rings a little true.  Where are the pro-Jay rallies?  Perhaps they could only really happen if nursing home orderlies let their residents out to do it.  NBC is gambling that even though that crowd isn’t as vocal, they’ll be more attentive to sponsors of a Tonight Show that sways their way.  Siding with Jay is a pretty clear stance, it’s also siding with this older generation who kept The Tonight Show numbers up until they realized Conan’s humor was too juvenile for them and they switched to Letterman.

It’s no wonder that in the day of Hulu that there are a lot of grey areas in all of the discussion points surrounding the debate.  NBC is taking a big risk by backing the comedian that is the figurehead of the generation they’re accustomed to instead of going the one that’s a hero to the crowd slipping away from them.  There’s a lot of money involved for comedians who are already overly compensated in all of this, but there’s also that fascinating back and forth between generations under the surface.  It may take a year or so to really evaluate how NBC’s gamble is going to pay off, but those silent yet apparently ad consuming Baby Boomers won’t exactly be around forever.

| 78431 Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/television/the-baby-boomers-vs-generation-x-in-the-late-night-war/The+Baby+Boomers+Vs.+Generation+X+in+the+Late+Night+War2010-01-19+17%3A11%3A57Daniel Tags: baby boomers, Conan O'Brien, Generation X, I'm With CoCo, Jay Leno, nbc, The Jay Leno Show, Tonight Show

You might have heard recently that Sam Raimi, Tobey Maguire, and just about everyone associated with the first three Spider-man movies have dropped out of the sequels.  Not a whole lot of people cared for the third, but it should have been interesting to see that same crew try to rebound from a lackluster movie.  Now Sony is going to try to completely reboot the series with a new director, new star, new everything.  Providing that it’s not just a money grabbing move and care is taken with the reboot, this could actually work really well.  Knowing Sony, that’s probably a long shot.  But we can hope.  That said, here are five ways that Sony can make this reboot work.

1. It should be about Peter Parker, not Spider-man.

This point is arguable, but Spider-man is not and should not be a superhero story.  Instead, it’s a story about a teenage kid (and later a young adult) who deals with normal life while juggling being a superhero on the side.

There’s talk that Sony wants to appeal to the Twilight crowd by making the Spider-man reboot more of a teen drama, and I have absolutely no problem with that.  That approach isn’t at all anything new, and frankly the one that Spider-man narratives should follow.

For a good example, check out the Spectacular Spider-man cartoon series.  It’s one of the best approaches to the character in years, and it does so because it focuses on the drama at Peter’s high school, not with his supervillain adversaries.

2. The villain must not be a main character.

You can blame the Tim Burton Batman movies for starting this tired stereotype of superhero movies.  Ever since the early 90’s, it’s been almost required that you have to spend a lot of time developing a cheesy villain portrayed by a popular and overpaid actor.  Is anyone actually enforcing this rule?  Is there some fee that has to be paid to Stan Lee if it isn’t followed?  Let’s for once forget this and let Peter remain the main character.  Think of it this way, .. the shark isn’t the main character of Jaws.  And he doesn’t talk or have a backstory.  He’s a freaking shark.

3. There’s no need for an origin story.

Popular DC and Marvel comic characters are the Greek and Roman gods of our day.  For every marketable and popular franchise, everyone knows the origin story.  It’s been told so many times before, and there’s nothing new that can be said about it.  Everyone knows that Peter Parker was bit by a radioactive spider, everyone knows that his Uncle Ben is dead.  Instead of spending so much time on what’s been gone over countless times before, let’s just jump right into a story and have a lot more screen time time for something new.

4. It should not be overly “gritty”.

Ever since The Dark Knight made unthinkable amounts of money in 2008, studio heads pressuring script writers seem to have it through their heads that a comic book movie must be “gritty” and push the PG-13 rating to the limit.  That approach is appropriate in Gotham City, but it’s unnerving to hear the talk about how Superman’s Metropolis or Spider-man’s New York has to be made similarly gritty.  There’s nothing wrong with making a realistic NYC in a Spider-man movie, but there is something wrong with making it gloomy and depressive.  Peter deals with a lot of trouble, but he always keeps a sense of fun and humor about everything.  Turning him into the Amazing Emo-man is what went wrong with the third movie.

5. The traditional comic story arc doesn’t have to be followed by the letter.

This is somewhat an addition to my earlier point that everyone knows the origin story.  Everyone also knows that Peter has a crush on Mary Jane, but it wasn’t until Spider-man 3 that most knew that Peter also had something going on with Gwen Stacy.  Picking up on some of the lesser known narratives to keep things fresh would be nice, but creating something entirely new could work well too.  I’m not saying that it should break canon or create inconsistencies, but let’s face it, the on-screen Spidey is a bit stale.  The comics continue to innovate, and have become fresh and revitalized lately after the controversial Brand New Day reboot.  Perhaps this is the best opportunity for the Spider-man screen series to do the same.

For more about the Spidey reboot, drop by this thread in our movies forum.

| 7838Leave a Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/movies/five-ways-a-spider-man-reboot-can-work/Five+Ways+a+Spider-man+Reboot+Can+Work2010-01-12+16%3A50%3A23Daniel Tags: spider-man, spider-man 4, Spider-Man movie, Spider-Man reboot

This past year, I hadn’t been playing my Nintendo DS that much anymore.  I still had some great games that are always good to play for a few minutes while killing time, but it had been a long time since I’d gotten a new game for it that sucked me in.

And as much as I tried, I just could never ever finish the first Zelda game on Nintendo DS. Phantom Hourglass had a lot of fresh ideas for the series, but it had a showstopping hub temple that was frustrating as all get out.  In the last act of the game, you’re forced to play through the entire thing again in order to progress, and it was a huge roadblock that killed my interest in completing the game.

Zelda: Spirit Tracks overcomes those two obstacles and has me loving my DS again.  It uses pretty much the same graphical and gameplay formula as the first Zelda DS, but improves upon it in ways that really make me reconsider whether or not the first one was actually even that good at all.  It overcomes the stigma of the DS only containing games good for short bursts, and it improves upon the idea of having a repeating hub temple.  That, and a few other factors make it my favorite DS game of the past few year.

We might never see a Zelda game that really and truly refreshes the same cookie cutter template of the past two decades, but this one tries enough new things to make it feel pretty fresh this time around.  There are only four real temples, but that in no way says that it’s a short game.  There are now a lot of mini-challenges and side quests that are actually required for progression, but still integral and fun. Which is kind of a new thing for a Zelda game, and it works pretty well.  I groaned a bit when I heard that the idea of a hub temple was being brought back, but I’m eating crow now.  You never replay any of it once, and it actually adds a lot of mind bending gameplay time to the game without resorting to cheap tricks.  If only this idea had been put into place in the first one, I might have actually finished it.

I do have a few gripes, however.  The idea of riding a train around the overworld is respectable enough in that it’s something new, but it does limit what you can do.  You literally do ride on rails, which makes this Hyrule feel much less open and explorable.  It sometimes even becomes frustrating when you can’t maneuver around as you might need to.  Also, for whatever reason, the insanely fun online multiplayer from the first game is inexplicably gone here.  There’s a WiFi only option in it’s place, which is both limiting and disappointing.

Overall, I totally recommend Spirit Tracks.  Whether or not you played (or enjoyed) the first Zelda DS, you’ll love it.  Not since Majora’s Mask has there been a Zelda game that mixed the game up a bit, and the changes are mostly more than welcome here.

On a related note, voting is now open for Nightly’s Game of the Year for 2009. Stop by here to cast your vote!  Results will be posted on January 18th.

| 78301 Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/gaming/video-game-review-zelda-spirit-tracks-nintendo-ds/Video+Game+Review%3A+Zelda+-+Spirit+Tracks+%28Nintendo+DS%292010-01-11+16%3A43%3A48Daniel Tags: nintendo ds, review, Spirit Tracks, Zelda

George Lucas fans dying to hear the time and location of the next Star Wars Celebration have closure after many months of betting.

As announced by new SWC runners Reed Exhibitions, the fifth Celebration will be held at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, Florida, August 12-15, 2010 — a week after ex-SWC showrunners GenCon LLC’s own flagship convention in Indianapolis (allegedly on the C5 shortlist), two weeks after OtaKon in Baltimore (ditto), two weeks before Dragon*Con in Atlanta (the nearest major competitor), and a few days after some schools restart (no love for fans who succeeded at reproducing).

Tickets go on sale December 10th at the official SWC website. As with Star Wars Celebrations II, III, and IV, Nightly.net hopes to have a large crew in attendance to scout for autographs, catalog rare Lucas sightings, take thousands of photos for our vicarious amusement, grab all the freebies they can carry, buy souvenirs for us, and get Imperial officers drunk enough to use lewd Star Wars pickup lines on anything with less than four legs. Eavesdrop on our staff’s weekend party plans in our Star Wars Universe forum, or add your two cents to the planning process in our Nightly.net Live! subforum and make arrangements to meet real live Nightly members! And maybe a Star Wars actor or puppeteer or whatever.

| 78131 Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/grab-bag/orlando-to-accept-republic-credits-in-2010/Orlando+to+Accept+Republic+Credits+in+20102009-12-04+03%3A53%3A01Randy Tags: August 2010, Orlando, star wars celebration 5, star wars celebration V

Hot on the heels of last week’s introduction of the Wonder Twins to live-action immortality, TV Guide has released the first photo of Hawkman in costume, as portrayed by Stargate actor Michael Shanks. The accompanying interview reveals that the producers and episode writer Geoff Johns have chosen to portray the reincarnated-Egyptian-lover version of Carter Hall from DC Comics’ Golden Age on the show, rather than Katar Hol of Thanagar from the Silver Age or alien junkie rogue cop Katar Hol from the 1990s or the Zombie Black Lantern Hawkman who occupies the Hawkman-position in today’s DC Universe.

Hawkman will join fellow heroes Dr. Fate and Stargirl, along with civilian antihero Amanda Waller (to be played by The L Word costar Pam Grier), in transitioning from the printed page to the small screen for a special two-hour Smallville event, now rescheduled for the first week of February sweeps. Fans, haters, and newcomers to the show are invited to stop by the ninth-season discussion thread in our TV forum to share your weekly thoughts, hopes, criticisms, and Justin Hartley love poetry!

| 7807Leave a Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/television/the-cw-to-viewers-why-dont-you-just-pray-to-hawkman/The+CW+to+Viewers%3A+Why+Don%27t+You+Just+Pray+to+Hawkman%3F2009-11-17+01%3A31%3A17Randy Tags: carter hall, hawkman, justice society, michael shanks, Smallville, tom welling

Friday the 13th will be a big day in small claims court, where one unlucky defendant may get served with justice…old school! Emphasis on the “old”.

Just in time for sweeps month, on November 13th the current incarnation of The People’s Court will guest-star Judge Joseph Wapner, trendsetting grand poobah of the original 1980s series. The showrunners were tickled pink to oust usurper Judge Mary Sue Millions or whatever her name is for a day and invite Wapner out of retirement to preside once more from the bench in honor of his 90th birthday. The details of the single case on Wapner’s docket have yet to be revealed for fear of causing a mistrial or daytime-TV ennui, though unfounded rumors circulate about Medicare swindles, nursing home feuds, and unauthorized kids on lawns.

An episode teaser is now available for a limited time at the show’s official site, but the official press release has been preserved for display purposes in our TV forum, where the Human Torch, the people’s Moderator, is ready to hear your testimony on your way out of the courtroom!

(Despite Raymond Babbitt’s insistence to the contrary, The People’s Court may not be on at 4:30 in your area. Be sure to check local listings, or just wait an extra day for the Internet to give it up.)

| 7797Leave a Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/television/judge-wapner-90-given-one-more-chance-to-decide-who-lives-or-dies/Judge+Wapner%2C+90%2C+Given+One+More+Chance+to+Decide+Who+Lives+or+Dies2009-11-07+04%3A38%3A02Randy Tags: joseph wapner, judge wapner, november 13, people's court, R.I.P. Rusty the Bailiff

In response to popular demand several months ago, your Nightly.net Admin staff is proud to present the newest addition to our forum lineup, Iron Chef Nightly! Not exactly a cooking competition at the moment, ICN (pronounced “icing”) will be a bouillabaisse of discussions in the field of food, drink, and more food! Looking for new recipes? Got a restaurant recommendation? Having problems figuring out what you just ate? Need us to Google some food photographs for you? Do you wish to serve before the altar of the great and powerful pagan idol PIE? ICN offers all this and more, with half the calories and unsightliness of other, fattier food sites!

Located in our new Hobbies section alongside the freshly emancipated Sci-Tech forum (free of the Lyceum at last) and the photogenic Studio Nightly (the prettiest community forum of them all), enter the vast kitchen array of Iron Chef Nightly if you dare, and remember: today’s secret ingredient is…FOOD.

| 77901 Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/grab-bag/a-la-cuisine-welcome-to-iron-chef-nightly/A+LA+CUISINE%21+Welcome+to+Iron+Chef+Nightly%212009-10-27+01%3A39%3A06Randy Tags: drinks, food, geeks, more food, recipes, restaurants, snacks, still more food

It’s time for the Fall Classic, and the Series pits the defending champions versus the Evil Empire known as the Yankees.

ALCS MVP C.C. Sabathia is slated to start Game 1 against fellow former-Indian Cliff Lee.

The Yankees sport a “murderous” lineup including A-Rod, Jeter, Texiera, and Damon to compliment their strong pitching staff of Sabathia, Burnett, Pettite and Rivera.

The Phillies will counter with NLCS MVP Ryan Howard, Chase Utley and Shane Victorino. The pitching staff is highlighted by Cliff Lee, reigning World Series MVP Cole Hamels, and possibly Pedro Martinez. Brad Lidge, who suffered through the 2009 regular season, has rebounded in the postseason to dominant form.

Come join us in the Sports Forum to disucuss the Series.

| 77831 Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/grab-bag/phillies-vs-yankees-world-series-to-begin-10282009/Phillies+vs.+Yankees+-+World+Series+to+Begin+10%2F28%2F2009+2009-10-26+16%3A01%3A20Sean Tags: A-Rod, Alex Rodriguez, Hamels, Howard, Jeter, Lidge, Major League Baseball, Martinez, Pedro, Pettite, Phillies, Sabathia, Utley, Victorino, World Series, Yankees

For today’s Internet broadband majority on the go, Hulu has been the next best thing to DVR, and light years better than building a backlog of unwatched episodes on old Memorex VHS tapes — a near-instant temporary archive for the latest episodes of your favorite current TV shows and an expanding warehouse of reruns you wouldn’t touch while channel-flipping yet now find hypnotic because they’re online and that’s somehow different. Just like Nightly, YouTube, Facebook, I Can Has Cheezburger, and millions of other entertaining websites, Hulu has so far provided its addictive services free of charge.

Earlier this week, executives at Rupert Murdoch’s News Corp realized that they’ve owned Hulu for several months now. In keeping with the same management paradigm they employ with all their other possessions, the board immediately revealed preliminary plans to ruin a good thing. News Corp. deputy chairman Chase Carey elaborated on their intent to stick to in-house evil business procedures:

“I think a free model is a very difficult way to capture the value of our content. I think what we need to do is deliver that content to consumers in a way where they will appreciate the value…Hulu concurs with that, it needs to evolve to have a meaningful subscription model as part of its business.”

Presumably the advertising revenue was insufficient to prevent internal meddling. Would you pay for Hulu? Should anyone? Is there a real need for a Video iTunes Jr.? Register your indignant outrage or your bourgeoisie support in our TV forum today!

| 7775Leave a Comment » |http://www.nightly.net/television/hulu-to-betray-internet-for-fast-buck-in-2010-perish-by-2011/Hulu+to+Betray+Internet+for+Fast+Buck+in+2010%2C+Perish+by+20112009-10-24+00%3A54%3A20Randy Tags: chase carey, destroy the world, hulu, news corp, online reruns, rupert murdoch, video itunes jr

Archie Andrews may have saved himself for 58 years before finally betrothing himself to Veronica Lodge this past summer, but America’s most beloved pot-scrubbing implement only lasted ten years before Nickelodeon was forced to announce that their prize merchandising machine will be invoking the sacrament of holy matrimony to fortify himself against the spiritual roadblocks of peer pressure and carnal lust.

USA Today has notified America to clear its datebooks November 6th for a Very Special Episode of SpongeBob SquarePants in which the jolly jaundiced jetsam finally pops the question to Texan scientist/rodent Sandy Cheeks after a full decade of prepubescent wackiness and sublimated urges. Insecure in his manhood and his ability to carry a Very Special Episode, the creators have reportedly overloaded the episode with cameos and other contributions from Will Ferrell, Tina Fey, TV’s Craig Ferguson, LeBron James, Pink, Triumph the Insult Comic Dog, Robin Williams, and Ricky Gervais, as well as a reinterpretation of the classic theme by the inimitable Gnarls Barkley. If all those gratuitous appearances don’t run into double overtime, the regular cast may also be allowed an onscreen moment.

As of this writing Nickelodeon refuses to reveal whether the couple will undergo much-needed premarital counseling, nor will they divulge whether the ceremony will be wholly secular or follow the precepts of any specific denomination such as Batholic, PenteCoastal, or Creek Orthodocks. Be sure to bring something old, something new, something borrowed, and something absorbent and yellow and porous to our TV forum when you RSVP for the big event! (Nightly.net regulars, take note: the planned time slot is a Friday, at 9 p.m., potentially pitting it against Dollhouse the Nielsen Gimp. Plan your DVR-ing strategically.)

| 77702 Comments » |http://www.nightly.net/television/introducing-mr-mrs-spongebob-and-sandy-squarepants/Introducing+Mr.+%26+Mrs.+SpongeBob+and+Sandy+SquarePants%212009-10-16+03%3A06%3A44Randy Tags: jumps the shark, nickelodeon, november 6, sandy cheeks, sandy squarepants, spongebob squarepants, very special episode, wedding