The first must-have iPad app

If you’re a geek, and you have a pulse, then at one time or another, you have wanted a PADD. That’s “Personal Access Data Device,” to any non-Trekkers out there.

I’m talking, of course, about the handheld computer of choice for crew members onboard the U.S.S. Enterprise. A few simple taps and gestures were all it took to manipulate this powerful personal tablet, and an enterprising (had to do it) fan out there has brought us one step closer to having a PADD of our own.

“Captain’s Log” is a simple little iPad app that doesn’t really do anything all that new or innovative — and that’s beside the point, anyway. At its core, Captain’s Log is just a skin for your iPad that makes it look more like a Star Trek PADD. And therein lies its genius.

A few simple taps and gestures are all it takes to make the iPad your very own command center, particularly if you’re a social media power user. Captain’s Log accesses your Twitter and Facebook accounts, as well as your email, allowing you to maintain constant contact.

It’s hardly the first app ever to do any of this stuff, but it’s definitely the geekiest. And it gets extra points in my book for assigning a star date to your posts.

Captain’s Log is not yet available on the App Store, so there’s no word yet on pricing, but one assumes it will become available any time now, probably to coincide with the Friday release of the iPad.