I'm not sure if Apple Computer head Steve Jobs is going to be thrilled about this, but it could be fun. 'Seinfeld,' 'Curb Your Enthusiasm,' and 'Borat' writer/director Larry Charles is doing a new TV show for Epix based on the blog that writer Dan Lyons did called The Secret Diary of Steve Jobs (which was later a novel, 'Options: The Secret Life of Steve Jobs'). The new show will be called 'iCon,' which was also the name of a Jobs biography by Jeffrey Young and William Simon.

As a Mac guy, I will definitely watch this. Charles himself says that he is "attempting to do nothing less than a modern 'Citizen Kane.'" (Spoiler: his laptop's name is Rosebud!)

I'm sure this will be a hit with Mac fans and they're probably excited to see a weekly TV show based on their hero (though the character in the show will be "fictional"). I bet a lot of viewers are just surprised that there's a cable channel called "Epix."

You think 'Mad TV' was the first to use the name iPad? Actually, the name was used in a 1999 episode of 'Felicity.' Her friend is trying to decide which computer to buy and rattles off a list of products that are available at the store...hmmmmm.

Obviously she mixes up "Thinkpads" and "iBooks." Either that or J.J. Abrams has powers we mortals can't understand.

[via nymag.com]

Do you remember in the prehistoric days of no Internet and nothing digital? Back then, if you liked the songs you heard on MTV or -- gad! 'The Monkees' -- you would have to wait months and months for the single or album to show up in the record store. Yes, those were the days of records, even if they were tapes or 8-tracks.

Anyway, in today's wonderful world of instant gratification and super-technology, waiting is a thing of the past. Last night's performances from 'American Idol's' Top Twelve ladies will be on Apple iTunes today! Last night if you were watching and loved Lilly Scott's version of The Beatles 'Fixin' A Hole,' you could've pre-ordered it and it would be downloaded to your computer today.

A little while ago, we mentioned that 'Cash Cab' was being released as an app for the iPhone. I couldn't resist picking it up and writing a quickie review, mostly because I was once a contestant on the show. Honest.

The game itself is pretty cool, particularly if you like trivia. It simulates riding to various NYC touristy locations (Empire State Building, South Street Seaport, etc.) while being asked questions. This is different than the live show which uses bars and restaurants.

Sadly, the game does not offer cool 3D graphics of Ben Bailey. It does, however, ask various trivia questions while simulating a cab ride. There is a map showing your current location and length of time to your destination, so there is a time limit. Like it's live counterpart, the game also allows a shout out and to phone a friend, but the friend has to be selected from one of the built-in friends within the game.

There is a free version of the game available in the iTunes App Store if you want to try before you buy. Due to my personal connection, I decided to splurge the $2.99. My only regret in my experience playing both the live game and the one for the iPhone is that I forgot to tip the cab driver for a great journey.

Every year around this time, everyone talks about the best Super Bowl commercials of all-time. In fact, CBS has a special tonight at 8pm, 'Greatest Super Bowl Commercials of All-Time.' Apple's '1984' ad, which introduced the Mac, is often cited as the best Super Bowl ad ever. Is it? I love it and it's certainly in the running and iconic. Some people say this is the best ad ever, period.

Here's the commercial. After the jump, take our poll.

Last week I told you about Stephen Colbert making a plea on his show for Apple's new iPad (which he called the Tablet because it hadn't been released yet). Well, it looks like he got his iPad a lot sooner than the rest of us are going to get them. He whipped it out last night at 'The Grammys' and even taunted some of the stars who haven't gotten one yet.

I'm not going to lie to you. I'm a bit of a Machead and I REALLY want an iPad. That's why I'm super jealous of Pee-Wee Herman who brought one to the Playhouse in this "Funny or Die" video, even though he already has a robot and a talking screen, both of which Apple are probably developing into overpriced electronic gadgetry so they can suck more money out of my cramped, ink stained hands.

And just for fun, when you hear the word "iPad" in the following video, scream real loud. Ready? Let's try it!

Will Apple's new iPad really change the way we watch TV? That was one of the big questions that we were asking before Steve Jobs' presentation yesterday in San Francisco. I thought that since he was conferring with network execs to slash iTunes prices for TV episodes, that the iPad would have a major TV viewing component.

Now that we've seen the device and watched it demonstrated, the answer isn't crystal clear. But yes, it should have some impact on TV viewing.

Oh, don't get me wrong. I agree with those that call the iPad just a bigger version of the iTouch or iPhone. On the surface, it is. However, while it's true that someone might prefer a one-hand device like the smaller iTouch or iPhone to watch a show on a commuter train, you have to imagine a different setting for the iPad.

So Apple announced the iPad today. No surprise, especially since Mad TV announced it a few years ago. (Might be slightly NSFW.)

In case you haven't heard, Apple is probably going to release some sort of tablet/pad today that is GOING TO CHANGE THE WORLD AS WE KNOW IT. Actually, I'm pretty excited about it myself. So is Stephen Colbert. In this clip from last night, he talks about a new iPhone app and pleads for the new device too.

[Watch clips and episodes of The Colbert Report and other shows at SlashControl.]

Maybe it's just a coincidence, but on the eve of Apple's next big thing -- something being called the Apple tablet which only makes me think of an aspirin that tastes fruity -- Steve Jobs wants the networks to drop the cost to download TV episodes from the iTunes store.

Could that be the reason Steve is meeting with the executives, to make them see that downloads would increase substantially if individual episodes were $.99 instead of the current prices which are typically twice that amount or more.

There's plenty of reason why the networks should listen to Steve. He's been right a lot more than he's been wrong. The iPod and the iPhone have revolutionized how we listen to music, use our phones, PDAs, etc. Whatever the next big thing is from Apple, it probably involves how to watch TV in a more portable way. Even more than we already are watching with the stuff we're carrying now.

This is an interesting Daily Show interview with Bill Gates where he talks about the work of the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, but I'm posting it because of a funny question that Jon Stewart asks him about a certain Microsoft competitor.

[Watch clips and episodes of The Daily Show and other shows at SlashControl.]

In an attempt to promote the third season of Chuck, Warner Brothers has released their own iPhone app for the show titled "Chuck Me Out". This is probably better than calling it "Chuck Me", which has certain other connotations.

I particularly like the painted image on the splash page of the app, which is reminiscent of spy movie posters of days gone by. The app itself allows the user to superimpose Chuck-related images onto the photos saved on their iPhone or iPod touch. For example, the user can appear in a Nerd Herd tag or a backstage pass for Jeffster (for the Jeffster groupies out there). Did I mention that it's free?

True, there is a tag on the bottom of each image that says to watch it on NBC, but that can be taken care of in Photoshop. If you own an iPhone or iPod touch and are a fan of Chuck, then this app is recommended.

The Wall Street Journal's All Things Digital blog is reporting that Apple is having meetings with TV networks to see if they'd be interested in having their programs available on iTunes in a deal where viewers would pay a monthly flat fee to watch the shows.

Obviously, many networks already offer various shows on iTunes, but this would be a scenario where Mac and PC users of iTunes would pay a $30 a month subscription in order to watch TV shows. And that would be all shows, not just paying for each show that you want to watch.

Sesame Street did a Mad Men spoof recently, and now they're spoofing another contemporary pop culture icon: the iPod.

In this clip, the Muppets are seen wearing headphones and dancing in silhouette a la various commercials for Apple's iPod. Steve Jobs called and is going to sue PBS. Just kidding!

[via Mashable]