iPhone and iPad Update to OS 4.0 - Ughh

I could really care less about the iPhone itself. It was cool back in 2007 when it debuted but Android has since left it in the dust. Not only software-wise, but also with the *innovation* of new and superior hardware by Motorola and HTC. However, I'm still tied down to Apple's iPhone OS by way of my iPad. Yeah, I know... "Get an Android tablet." Until one is available boasting the same (or better) hardware specs as the iPad in as sleek and slim of a package, I, like 450,000 others, are stuck. And it's not entirely a bad "stuck." I'm happy with what the iPad can do for now, keeping in mind it'll evolve in the near future.

Enter iPhone OS 4.

Apple removed the wool from the sheeps' eyes this morning (pun intended?) with the unveiling of iPhone OS 4.0. It's being made available to developers today and will be released to current iPhone 3G and 3Gs owners "this summer." No specific date was provided. Chief among the 100+ improvements is the ability to multitask, something Apple has been behind on since, oh, I don't know... the beginning? This means I can now stream Pandora WHILE browsing the web. I can actually get Twitter updates from TweetDeck in REAL time while browsing the web or working in another application. It's a big deal, I know. Something Android has done from the beginning, Apple manages to produce 3 years later. Oh well, better late than never I suppose. Right?

iPhone 3G and iPod Touch third-gen devices will get the update this summer sometime. Based on Apple's history, I'm guessing in June. We iPad owners though will be waiting until an undisclosed time "this fall." I suppose the other appropriate adage to use here is "Good things come to those who wait." Well, I'm tired of waiting for Apple to get their head on straight, but that's what I get for buying into the closed-minded heavily guarded and protected ecosystem of Apple.

More features of OS 4.0 after the jump.

HTC Incredible Final release date: April 29

According to Taylor from Android and Me, the long awaited HTC Incredible will finally see the light of day! Come April 29, you (and I) should be able to snag your dream phone at Verizon and Best Buy stores nationwide.

Check out the leaked internal documents from both VZW and Best Buy below. Looks like the long wait actually has a finite ending! Still no word yet on the Verizon Nexus one, though.










-- Post From My iPad

Reports Confirmed: iPad requires more juice

If you've tried using an iPhone/iPod accessory with your iPad, you've probably gotten the same error I did tonight. I tried plugging my iPad in via a car charger made for the iPhone 3G I used to have. If you remember, Apple did this before with first-gen iPhones; most accessories including chargers wouldn't work with the iPhone 3G.

I have no complaints with the battery life on the iPad though. In fact, unlike most gadgets, it's battery life actually outperforms the manufacturer's claims. I'm just a power junkie... Always want to make sure my devices are juiced up and ready to go. So I don't have a huge problem waiting for Apple or Belkin or Griffin to make a charger for the car. In the meantime, if I need to, I'll just lug the MacBook Pro along and plug it into the USB port.

Screenshot:






-- Post From My iPad

iPad + Android Phone = iPad 3G

Like 300,000 others, I picked up my Apple iPad last Saturday. Since the Wifi-only model is the only one available so far, it really left me limited on connectivity. Sure, I've got Wifi at home and most serious businesses offer it now too, but what about all the gaps? I do a lot of traveling in the car for both business and pleasure. And that device just begs to be used everywhere you go. So, using my trusty Droid, I found a quick, easy and FREE solution.

All you need is a rooted Android phone running Android 2.0 or higher. I've only tested this with my Droid on Verizon, but the connection is established and routed from the handset, so the carrier you're on shouldn't be an issue.

As long as your phone is rooted, just install the app "Wireless Tether for Root Users" which you can get here. Set up your phone as a mobile hotspot by giving it an SSID, a security key and you're good to go. Once you've launched the tethering application, put your phone aside and go to the Wifi setup on your iPad. Choose your newly created network from the list, enter your security key and click Join. That's it.

Now, anywhere you have a data connection on your phone through your carrier, your iPad will also have internet access. This beats buying the actual 3G version of the iPad later this month for a few reasons:

1. The official iPad 3G will only offer service from AT&T using their odd-ball micro-SIMs. 
2. AT&T's network is already a mess with the enormous plague of iPhone.
3. As the Verizon commercials point out, Big Red has far more 3G coverage than AT&T.
4. You already pay for the data plan as part of your Droid service - why pay for internet access a second time, on a second account, with a second bill on an inferior network?
5. Once the HTC Evo 4G from Sprint comes out, you'll actually have an iPad 4G! 

Video demonstration after the jump.

Android App Review: MyBackup Pro

This is probably the best application you'll never actually use. Well, hopefully not anyway. 

Occasionally there comes a time when having a solid backup of your entire system can be a life saver. Lose your phone, break your phone, accidentally wipe all your data doing some custom hackery; whatever the case, MyBackup Pro has you covered.

Not only do you have the option of backing up your system locally to your SD card, but also to Rerware's remote secure servers, which is what you want if your phone goes MIA. The Pro version runs $4.99 in the Android market, comes with lifetime updates and provides 50mb of online storage. 

Remember when I said its the best application you'll never use? MyBackup Pro performs automatic backups, either to your SD card or to your online storage, at a prescheduled interval you define when you install the app. Backup your system daily or weekly at a time when you're not using your phone (i.e. when you're asleep!). 

Summary and screen shots after the jump.

Android App Review: bTunes

Many of us have used Apple's iPod UI at some point, namely the interface supplied with Apple's iPhone and iPod Touch. Being a former (and proudly rehabilitated) iPhone junkie, one of the things that I wasn't necessarily impressed with in Android's OS from the beginning was the music player. Sure, it did the job, but finding certain songs in a thousands-deep library wasn't always easy. Enter bTunes.

bTunes is an iPod look-alike application for Android. The entire UI is designed after the iPhone / iPod Touch application, which is one thing Apple is most famous for. From the look and feel of the touch interface to the graphics and functionality, bTunes does leaps and bounds over the stock music player.

It's easy to build playlists on the go, rearrange the track order within them, add and remove songs at will, and shuffle the entire mix. When the phone is in sleep mode with the screen off, bTunes has a lock-screen overlay that gives easy access to "Next Track", "Pause" and "Previous Track" buttons, while displaying downloaded album artwork in the background. Nice.

Each time you launch the app, bTunes searches your memory card for new media files automatically, so you're always up to date with new additions to your music collection. Use the "Recently Added" queue to then take those songs and insert them into your existing playlists.

For advanced users, the Preferences list is a dream. It allows you to control all aspects of bTunes; from Last.fm scrobbling to shortcut key functions to search options.

Summary and screen shots after the jump.

iPad: Content Sponge or Content Creator?

Some of the early reviews and feedback about the iPad indicate people see it as a content sponge but not necessarily a content creator. Sure, it's easy to see why -- the few solid apps that are available so far aren't geared towards content development, but rather delivering rich existing content to your new Apple device.

I, however, intend to use my iPad for more than just another way to listen to music, read the news, check my mail, and browse the web. I've found a few great content creation apps so far besides BlogPress and I'm sure more will come about as the iPad grows.

I've got a few samples for content creation I've had success with so far, after the jump.