Technknowledge

Someone might judge you for putting together a mock iPad, but it's certainly not going to be us. Be it for practicing the Tablet Sutra or faking out a fanboy friend, here's the template you've been looking for.

Courtesy of Jess Silverstone at Revolutionary Concepts, this template can be printed on standard paper and will fold into an iPad that's just about the same size as the real thing, as long as your printer is capable of borderless printing.

Here's the front and the back, and here's what your arts and crafts project will look like when it's all put together:

So have at it. I'm not gonna ask any questions. [MacRumors]

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Update 2: Apple's U.S. Black Friday sale is up, and while not spectacular, there are some rare discounts to be found. To go back to the same examples we used for the U.K. and Australian Apple stores, the base model 13-inch MacBook Pro is $1,098, down from $1,199.

In fact, it looks like all MacBook Pro models are exactly $101 off, while the $999 white MacBook is not discounted at all. The 32GB iPod Touch is $268, down from $299.

This sale is good online and in Apple's retail stores and runs until 3 a.m. EST on November 28.

Update: Even though it's not quite Black Friday in the U.S. yet, it's past midnight in some other parts of the globe. Notably, Australia and the U.K. have both seen their respective Apple Web sites updated to reveal Apple's one-day sale. While we can't say yet that the deals in the U.S. will be exactly the same, there's no reason think they won't be.

On apple.com/uk, we saw a 13-inch MacBook Pro, originally £1,149, marked down to £1,078. On apple.com/au, the same unit was A$1,868, marked down from A$1,999.

Similarly, a 32GB iPod Touch is £208, marked down from £229 on the U.K. site, while while in Australia, it's A$358, down from A$399.

We've also examined some Black Friday deals from other retailers.

Our original post continues below:

According to purportedly leaked documents on the tech rumor site Boy Genius Report, Apple is gearing up to offer a series of post-Thanksgiving bargains on products from iPods to MacBooks.

The deal, allegedly good only on November 27, lists "up to" discounts of 30 percent on iPods (excluding the Shuffle and iPhone), 25 percent on Mac laptops and desktops, and 15 percent on accessories, software, and other hardware.

The Boy Genius Report Web site says: "One of our connects just hit us up with some intriguing Apple information. According to them, what you see detailed above is a shot of Apple's yearly Black Friday deals. It's reported to be something Apple will email out shortly."

Of course, with the vague use of "up to" and no specific products listed, we can't be sure if these will be good deals or not. But if you're interested in being the first in line to check them out, the leaked doc also says that select Apple stores will be opening at 6 a.m. on November 27.

(Credit: Boy Genius Report)

Is it a bird, is it a plane?

Certain sections of technology lend themselves to the concept of convergence, where the mad scientists in the world's biggest tech manufacturer mix together the coolest gadgets to make even cooler gadgets — think smartphones. But what would happen if you mixed together three seemingly boring gadgets, say an alarm clock, an iPod dock and a digital photo frame? Cue the Sony Dream Machine (and Corey Haim is nowhere in sight).

The result is surprisingly sexy, or at least as sexy as an alarm clock ought to be. The centrepiece of the Dream Machine is a 7-inch colour LCD display with a pretty standard WVGA. When viewing videos or photo slideshows the results are colourful and reasonably sharp, and seeing as it's to live on your bedside table it has four brightness settings to dim the screen when its time to sleep.
Rock around the clock, dock

The Dream Machine can play media from four main sources: from its 1GB of internal memory, a USB connection to a PC or portable storage, an SD or M2 memory card, or from the media stored on your Apple iPhone or iPod, though unfortunately there is no 3.5mm socket for connecting any other brand of MP3 player (even a Sony). Apple products connect via a slide-out dock located on the right-hand side of the Dream Machine, and there are two plastic cradles to secure your iPhone in the dock correctly.

While having an iPod dock is a huge bonus for a product of this kind it does come with the most inconsistencies. Firstly, you can't start video or image files using the Dream Machine's control panel, instead you have to set the player into iPod video mode then start playback from the handset itself. You can control the iPod player's music controls using the buttons on the dock and can set music on your iPod as your alarm clock music. You also can't transfer files from the iPhone/iPod to the internal memory, though considering how tightly Apple control these aspects of its products we really shouldn't be too surprised.

The speaker in the Dream Machine is adequate for the job, especially if you plan to watch videos or listen to music close to the unit, as in with your head on your pillow and the Dream Machine an arm's length away. It also features AM/FM radio tuner, which all good alarm clocks should. If you don't feel like being woken up to your heavy metal collection you can record a "Fun Wakeup" (which sounds like an oxymoron to us). You choose a photo from your collection and marry it with a voice recording and create your own custom wake-up call. The Dream Machine supports a range of media file types including MP3 and WMA audio and MPEG4, AVI and MOV video files.
Overall

We have a few nitpicks and grumblings, but overall the Dream Machine is a happy marriage of a few popular electronic appliances. There are features missing that you might expect if you bought one of these appliances as a stand-alone, like Bluetooth or internet connectivity in a digital photo frame, but we feel that the combination of functionality makes up for the shortcomings of each of its parts.

Logitech is no stranger to the world of iPod speakers, churning out both desktop and portable units since shortly after the time of the player's inception. The company hasn't varied sharply from its formula over the years, mainly making evolutionary changes to up the quality and functionality of the devices. The latest portable speaker, the S315i, offers iPhone shielding along with a power-saving feature to increase battery life. The AU$200 unit offers solid sound quality and a durable, compact design, making it a good fit for iPod owners who are constantly on the go.
Design and features

Style-wise, the flat-black Logitech S315i is not at all striking, which means it will likely appeal to most eyes. It's nearly a perfect rectangle, save the slight pinching in the middle that adds a bit of curve. At 10.5 inches wide, 5 inches tall, and an inch deep, the unit will fit nicely into any carry-on bag or purse, though we are a bit disappointed that Logitech didn't include a case in the package — we've come to expect it from speakers in this price range. That said, the unit seems quite durable, with a sturdy flip-out kickstand that covers the iPod dock when closed and a rubber flap to protect the ports on the back.

The back of the S315i houses all controls and features. There's a DC input for the included power adapter as well as a line-in jack that allows you to connect an iPod Shuffle or any non-iPod audio source, though you'll have to provide your own stereo patch cable. Two volume buttons — "up" curved out and "down" dented in for blind control — are housed on the right side, while a power switch sits just above the kickstand. The switch has three settings: off, on and power-save. When the unit is in power-save mode, it offers up to 20 hours of playback off of the battery, whereas standard mode will provide about 10 hours. A single LED beneath the front speaker grille indicates battery level: green glows when you have more than 40 per cent power, orange lights up for 5 to 40 per cent, and red indicates less than 5 per cent.
Performance

The main problem with the Logitech S315i's power-saving mode is that it noticeably decreases audio quality. When we switched the unit into this mode during testing, music sounded thin and weak, with little low-end response. It was barely tolerable. The good news is that the speakers actually sound quite good when running off of wall power or when in standard battery mode. Music comes through clear and open, with no background hiss or distortion, and there is some bass, though not as much as we'd like. Also, while high-end detail is decent, we think the S315i could stand a little more warmth in the mids. Overall, however, we're pleased with the audio response offered by the unit. It's not for audiophiles, but will satisfy the average listener looking to fill a hotel room with tunes. Oh, and it gets good and loud.