My new iPad came to my door while I was filming the long lines at New York’s Grand Central and 5th Avenue stores yesterday. I got home around 2 p.m., and I have since played with it almost non-stop. Here are my first impressions:

I’m sad to report that I am not as off-the-wall impressed with the new iPad as most of the other reviews I have read (except maybe David Pogue’s). It is absolutely a top-notch Apple product and easily the best tablet on the market, but not all will appreciate its tradeoffs.

Three things we generally enjoy here at The Verge: great photography, vintage gadgets, and hacking things together. Which is why we’re kind of in love with what director Jason Bognacki has created. Curious as to whether a 1919 Contessa-Nettel Piccolette folding camera he had lying around would still produce images, Bognacki set out to find a way to test nearly century-old device. While you can still get type 127 film — the Piccolette’s required stock — we’re unsure whether his particular camera was still functional enough to advance a few frames. But that doesn’t really matter, because Bognacki decided to add a modern touch by finding a way to attach the retro camera to the mount of his Canon 5D Mark II. The lens-camera-camera combo might look ridiculous, but the resulting photos are quite impressive.

At least fifty calves and three human beings are living with no pulse in their bodies, thanks to an artificial pump that replaced their naturally-grown hearts, as detailed in a story from Popular Science. Doctors Bud Frazier and Billy Cohn devised the artificial organ, and it can completely replace a heart and provide a continuous flow of blood throughout a body without recreating a pulse. While the pulse produced by a creature’s heart is an age-old indicator of life and death, it’s been a tricky thing for the medical field to replicate — but the pulse doesn’t appear to be necessary for life. Cohn tells Popular Science that “I think we’re on the verge, right now, of solving the artificial-heart problem for good. All we had to do was get rid of the pulse.” Be sure to hit the source link if you want to learn more about the incredible genesis of this technology.

Some of might need a little extra incentive to get out of the house and take a jog — that’s where Zombies, Run!, a new iOS app, comes in. In the world of Zombies, Run!, you are Runner 5, one of the last remnants of humanity after the planet has been overrun by zombies. Your mission is to venture out of your base and collect supplies for the community, and that’s where the fitness aspect of this game comes in. When you set the app to “running” mode, the app tells the story of Runner 5 through your headphones, giving radio orders on what supplies to collect and where to go, interspersed with the sound of approaching zombies. You can also use your own music while you’re running as well and the app will insert bits of the story between tracks. It sounds a silly but potentially fun way to liven up a run when you’re feeling like staying on the couch.

When you get back home and end your run, the app gives you limited stats on your distance, time and overall pace, and also informs you of what supplies you collected while out on your run. The more supplies (like batteries, food, or water) you collect, the more you can develop your base and get access to new missions. There’s a few potential downsides — the app costs $7.99, which is a bit of an investment compared to most other apps, and there’s only 13 missions available right now. Avid runners could blow through that pretty quickly, but the developers are planning another update to “season one” with 17 more missions, and it sounds like there might be more stories to come further down the line.

And now something different.

A table with an original design inspired by wine storage barrels, created by American designer Vincent Chicone.

Microsoft is releasing the Consumer Preview of Windows 8 today, a highly anticipated software release from the company that marks the introduction of a full touch interface for Windows. The software giant has attempted to bring touch functionality to Windows over a number of years, but Windows 8 goes a huge step further by introducing a separate environment for new applications, designed with touch and Metro style in mind, to the masses of Windows users.

We’re starting to get a clearer picture of what the 610 will look like now, as reports continue to drip out ahead of the official unveiling. The latest report, from BGR India, claims to confirm key specifications for the device, as well as its expected price point. Their ‘trusted sources’ claim that the new handset will include a 3.2” display (presumably an LCD rather than the AMOLED variety found in its more expensive siblings), along with a 3MP camera.

The Japan Broadcasting Corporation, or NHK, has developed a camera-carrying balloon capable of steady aerial shots that would previously have been done from a crane. The helium-filled balloon, which can rise to heights of 300 meters but would likely operate at 30 to 50 meters, is attached to a four-axis gimbal that keeps the camera steady even when the balloon moves. Unlike a crane, the balloon is relatively cheap to produce and doesn’t require a permit or large setup space. This means that it could be used to provide bird’s-eye views of events that cranes couldn’t reach, or new shots at things like sporting events.

Although the gimbal and camera can be remote-controlled to pan, tilt, or zoom, the balloon itself doesn’t look to be mobile. If its tether is cut, however, it’s apparently capable of bringing itself to a soft landing. The balloon is susceptible to strong winds, but not significantly more than some camera cranes — it can withstand anything up to 7 meters per second (around 16 miles per hour). You can probably also set any privacy fears to rest, as all you’d have to do would be look for the giant yellow dot in the sky.

Diving Dogs Photography by Seth Casteel. The diving dogs is an underwater photo series called “Ruff Water”

Remember how cool Palm Pilots were back in the day, and that weird Apple Tablet thing called the Newton? Well what would the iPhone’s operating system look like if it was designed back in 1986? We were getting in touch with our feminine side on Pinterest today and found the answer. Behold, iOS 0.0.1 straight from 1986. Looks great, doesn’t it?