iPhone 4 dinosaur tooth and iPad 2 Feb launch

News of the Week
Apple's eagerly awaited iPad 2 is creating quite a stir despite having yet to be confirmed, This week the first leaked iPad 2 case appeared showing the second gen tablet will feature a rear-facing camera and increased connectivity options. This was followed by further case leaks and the original iPad has pushed Apple's mobile computing share to a global high. Elsewhere on the iPad 2 front, it emerged the device will not feature an OLED display as Apple push for a backlit screen and rumours began about an April launch as February shipping date information was revealed.



Android 2.3 officially launched this week as Google unveiled the Samsung Nexus S, the first device to run the Android Gingerbread filling. The 2.3 unveiling was shortly followed by the news that the upcoming Android release will be made available as an update shortly with HTC leading manufacturers and confirming its use of the update. Other Android news this week saw the revelation that 300,000 Android devices are activated each and every day whilst the next generation Android OS, Android 3.0 Honeycomb was demoed by Google's Andy Rubin on the upcoming unnamed Motorola tablet.



Back to Apple and the iPhone has once again been doing the rounds. Whilst a £40,000 iPhone 4 customised with a 65 million year old T-Rex dinosaur tooth and meteor rock might be a bit brash and pricey for some, the long delayed white iPhone 4 wont be and the white Apple handset has this week been dated for a spring 2011 launch by the folks at Cupertino themselves. Advancing to the upcoming iPhone 5 and new Apple patents have revealed the fifth gen smartphone will sport an FM radio receiver and graphical radio mapping tech.


Launch time for RIM's BlackBerry PlayBook is growing ever closer with the 7-inch tablet this week given a number of hands-on demos. Whilst the first saw the tablet's multifunctioning touchscreen credentials shown off, the second gave a look at the tablet, phone pairing that will allow for mobile web browsing. Elsewhere on the PlayBook fornt, RIM has started to accept apps for the upcoming tablet whilst rumours of an upcoming 3D BlackBerry smartphone kicked into gear following the acquisition of a 3D UI developer.

How-To: Use Your iPhone as a Wireless Laptop Modem

I travel a lot. And if you’re a geek like me, you can’t go a full day sans internet access without experiencing some severe withdrawal symptoms. Luckily, my iPhone, with all its WiFi and 3G goodness, has been instrumental in feeding my addiction while on the road. But though Apple’s smartphone provides the best mobile browsing experience out there, the small screen and touch controls still don’t compare to the pixel real estate and tactile qwerty speed of a laptop. Not to mention such luxuries as Flash compatibility, page caching, and tabbed browsing.

So the next time you’re stranded without an open WiFi network (but your 3G signal is going strong), you’ll be glad you installed Addition’s iPhoneModem 2 (free to try, full license is $9.99). Unfortunately, Apple has apparently deemed the app to be in conflict with its App Store Terms and Conditions, so it is only available for jailbroken phones via Cydia. Here’s a quick guide:

1) Jailbreak your iPhone.
Download and install QuickPwn, an easy-to-use jailbreaking application for Windows and Mac (the latest version works with iPhone OS 2.2.1). Run the software and follow the onscreen instruction very carefully!

2) Install iPhoneModem by Addition.
QuickPwn installs an app on your phone called Cydia, which is essentially the App Store for apps that were rejected from the official App Store (or, for whatever reason, the developer chose not to release through Apple). Run Cydia, search for iPhoneModem by Addition and install it. Keep in mind you can only delete Cydia installed apps via Cydia’s Manage-Sources function. Now download and install the helper app on your laptop and you’re almost ready to go.

3)Set up the network.
Run the helper app and hit Connect. The helper app sets up an ad hoc wireless network that can be accessed via iPhone. The default network it creates is called “iPhoneModem” and does not have a password (you can change this in the Preferences of the helper app). Now open up your iPhone’s Settings and tap WiFi. Make sure WiFi is turned on and select the network “iPhoneModem” (or whatever you called it). Type the password if you assigned one. Open up the Modem iPhone app and everything else will configure automatically. After a few moments the helper app and the iPhone app will confirm that a connection has been established and you can browse away with all the comforts of your laptop!

Shortcomings:
While 3G seems plenty fast on a phone, it feels a little slow on a laptop. Also, most major web browsers work but not all are supported. In addition, a lot of other internet applications aren’t supported, but for all intents and purposes, you should be able to browse just fine.

*Note: If you haven’t already discovered, jailbreaking your iPhone opens up a world of possibilities, including themes and apps that aren’t allowed in the App Store. While it technically voids the warranty, you can easily return your device to its original state with the “Restore” feature in iTunes, wiping all traces of the jailbreak hack.