I’m both surprised, and not so surprised at the simplicity of his setup.

CineXPlayer does the following:

• Transfer your Xvid movies to your device instantly (no conversion needed)
• Play your movies anywhere, anytime, with no data connection required
• Enjoy the full quality and cinema experience

How to load Xvid AVI Movies using iTunes:

Since Apple limits the FaceTime video-conferencing feature to work over Wi-Fi only, it is up to independent developers to give us a 3G fix.  Luckily, with Comex‘s jailbreak, it is now a reality.

Here are the 3 simple steps:

1. Jailbreak your iPhone 4 by launching mobile Safari, and going to http://www.jailbreakme.com > and “Slide to Jailbreak“
2. Purchase and install My3G through Cydia, or this page ($3.99)
   
3. Use FaceTime. That’s all there is to it
   

WARNING: For those on a tiered data-plan (IE: AT&T in USA), be very careful, as video conferencing and streaming will use up around 3 MB’s per minute (test conducted by 9to5 Mac).

This Jailbreak not only does the iPhone 4- but all iOS devices on 3.1.2 firmware, or newer.

So basically iOS devices running anything from 3.1.2 to 4.0.1 are supported.

Just go to jailbreakme.com from mobile Safari and “Slide to Jailbreak”.

Haven’t been able to do it yet since everyone’s hitting the servers at once, but I’ll report back soon!

NOTE: Not all jailbreak apps will work on iOS 4.  Most of them are still being ported over from iOS 3 so check this chart before installing any apps from Cydia!

UPDATE 1: I finally got through to the site, and was able to Jailbreak flawlessly.

UPDATE 2: My MMS functionality seems to have gone away- no camera button in Messages.app.

Update 3: Looks like my FaceTime button is gone as well, and replaced with “Hold”. I’m not too worried, as I’m sure fixes for MMS, and FaceTime are coming real soon- you’ve been warned!

Update 4: All MMS + FaceTime issues have been fixed.  So if you’re a new Jailbreaker, just go to jailbreakme.com from mobile Safari, and “Slide to Jailbreak” as usual.

If you’ve already Jailbroke- just launch Cydia and it should prompt you to update, this should fix MMS + FaceTime issues.  You may need to enable FaceTime by going to “Settings > Phone > Facetime [ON]“

Comex has publicly released FRASH, a port of Adobe’s Flash 10.1 for Android.  It has been cooked to run natively in Safari!  It does not support video playback at the moment, but Flash sites, and games seem to be running pretty well.

You want to get in on the action?  Here’s how:

0. Make sure your iPad is jailbroken. It’s pretty easy — just run Spirit and you’re done.
1. Download Frash.deb and keep it nearby.
2. Decide how you’re going to get files onto your iPad. For Mac users, it’s dead simple — just install Netatalk, which will automatically pop up your iPad in the Finder’s Sharing list. Windows users can try out this guide at iClarified to get OpenSSH installed and running and use WinSCP — it’s just as easy. Either way, the login is “root” and the password is “alpine.” Remember, you can seriously screw things up while you’re in there, so be careful!
3. Once you’ve got access to the iPad’s filesystem, navigate to /var/root/Media as shown here:

4. Once there, open Media and create a folder called “Cydia.”
5. Open the new Cydia folder and create another new folder called “AutoInstall”
6. Upload Frash to your new folder.
7. Restart your iPad a couple times.
8. You’re set! Now just navigate to a page in Safari with non-video Flash content and hit the F logo to play it. Again, no video for now, but games and other simple content works. We did have a few crashes here and there, but it’s early code, and things are bound to get better.

[via Engadget]

There is an iPhone version in the works as well, so sit tight!

Videos of Frash running on iPad, and iPhone:

Anti Virus software, print drivers, and other 3rd party process’ are disabled, so you can get into the system on a clean slate, fix the issues, and reboot into normal mode.

Safe Mode may be required for Malware removal at times, since it allows the computer to boot, and prevent the virus from loading in the background.

You may be getting the “blue screen of death” (BSOD) when booting into Windows 7, and are wondering if it is an issue with your Windows installation, or is it a problem with a piece of software, or device you are using.  If the problem does not appear when you start in safe mode, you can cancel out the default settings, and basic device drivers as possible causes of the issue.

If you are still unsure about the cause of the issue, you can use the process of elimination to narrow down the possiblities:

In Safe Mode- start your commonly used programs, one by one, and see if you can replicate the error.  Often times, corrupt software can halt the entire system.  If you recently made a change to your system before it went down, such as installed a new webcam, Safe Mode will allow you to log in and uninstall the cam, and reboot to see if it solved the problem.

How to boot into Safe Mode:

Windows - Power on the PC and hold F8 as it begins booting up. Choose the “Safe Mode” option when prompted.

Mac - Power on the Mac, immediately after you hear the startup tone, hold the Shift key. The Shift key should be held as soon as possible after the startup tone but not before.

Linux (most distros) - Power on your system, when at the GRUB boot menu, choose the version of the Kernel that has the Safe Mode option in the name.

See for yourself:

1. Speed:  The iPhone 4 comes with the Apple A4 chip built-in.  This chip clocks in at 1Ghz, and has proven itself to be very snappy from its introduction in the iPad.  This thing screams- given the structure and implementation of the iOS- this is a welcomed upgrade.
   
   
2. Design: I was in love with the new design ever since I saw it in the Gizmodo leak.  People were claiming that it was a knock-off, and not an Apple design, but I was really hoping it was the real thing.  Luckily, Jobs confirmed that this was the real thing at WWDC ’10.  It has a more boxy and square look, rather than the 3G/3G S’ curvy design.  The stainless steel strip around the side looks sleek, and is a clever design for an antenna.  Combine that with the beautiful glass back, and you get a great looking phone that’s built for optimal reception. Let’s just hope this makes calls on AT&T more tolerable
   
   
3. The Screen: The iPhone 4 will debut Apple’s new “Retina Display”.  It boasts 326 pixels per inch, and Jobs claims that the average human retina can see only 300 per inch.  This allows for perfect, anti aliased curves- making text look like it’s printed on paper. The previous iPhones had a resolution of 480×320- the iPhone 4 will have 960×640! Apps will look amazing, and so will photos, and everything else.  Can’t wait to see it for myself.
   
   
4. 720P Video Camera: The iPhone 4 will have a new 5 mega pixel camera lens, with LED flash and better lighting sensors. On top of that, it will shoot 720P video, and allow for pretty advanced video-editing using the iMovie app ($4.99 in the AppStore). Imagine shooting HD video, editing it, and sharing it with friends, YouTube, or Facebook- all from your phone.
   
   
5. Front-facing Camera: It’s FaceTime! That’s Apple’s new video conferencing feature. I am very excited about this one- and it will be interesting to try it. You make a call to another iPhone 4 > hit the FaceTime button > and begin video-conferencing- simple, and effective. The only drawback right now is that it’s Wi-Fi only. Seems like the carriers aren’t quite ready for this kind of strain on their network- so hopefully we can use it over 3G next year.
   
   

A video guide for FaceTime.

Unlike previous iOS 4 Betas, this GM does not require your iPhone UDID to be on a Developer Account. You will still need a Mac though. In order to install this GM, you will need to use the iTunes 9.2 Beta, which is only available for OS X at the moment.

Some things to keep in mind:

You can not sync your iPhone to a Windows PC yet, since this build requires iTunes 9.2 Beta which is Mac only at the moment.

This is a Gold Master Candidate build, but does not make it an official build.  There may be bugs that end up getting fixed before the official version hits iTunes.

Here are the steps:

1. Download iTunes 9.2 Beta for Mac OS X
2. Install iTunes 9.2 Beta
3. Download the iOS 4 GM seed for iPhone 3GS, or 3G – iPod Touch 3G, or 2G
4. Plug in the iPhone (or iPod Touch) to your Mac, and start iTunes
5. Select your iPhone (or iPod Touch) from the left sidebar
6. Hold the Option key, and click “Restore“
7. Browse for the iOS 4 GM ipsw file and select it

Give it about 15 minutes, and you’ll have iOS 4 on your iPhone (or iPod Touch) ready to go.

I’m running it now on my 3GS, and it works very well.  It’s very responsive and stable.  I have had some app compatibility issues, but that’s because devs haven’t submitted their 4.0 compatible apps to Apple yet nevermind.

Will it kill the netbook? Will it be replacing your main computer? Who knows?!

The iPad is said to be a “new category” by Apple. It goes a little something like this;

iPhone (or other Smartphone) -> iPad -> Laptop/Desktop.

How you use it, and what you use it for is entirely up to you. I myself see this as a new way to consume media. Think of it as Books, Magazines, Movies, Web, and more, right at your finger-tips (pun intended). It outperforms previous tablet computers with its snappy execution, and elegance. Say what you will about its lack of USB, Flash, or SD slot; when it comes down to it, this device does what it does, VERY well.

I picked up the iPad a week after its release. I was going to hold off on it for maybe the second gen, but I gave-in after I saw my CEO’s unit. I was in love with that screen. It was bright, vibrant, and took up the whole device. It was like a big piece of glass that transformed the gadget into a different experience with every app. I love the sense of interaction and simplicity I get when using it. I use it for watching my Netflix, and YouTube subscriptions in bed- reading articles, and Stumbling with the StumbleUpon app, the list goes on.

Yes, I could do all this on my Asus netbook , which I like very much- with the iPad though, I no longer have to be bothered by noisy fans, and over-heating from heavy websites and video.

Many critics constantly point out its lack of Flash, but it really hasn’t affected my video consumption much. Off the top of my head, I can say that the only thing I’m missing out on is Hulu. Plus, with Apple’s support of HTML5, so many websites have took the plunge into converting their videos to the format; Facebook video is one example.

I went with the Wi-Fi only 32GB model, since I don’t see myself needing it while on-the-go much. Also, considering that I’m already paying $30 dollars for the iPhone 3G plan, it really adds up.

Under the Hood:

The iPad runs iPhone OS 3.2, which is basically an iPad-optimized version of the iPhone OS. It features a really fast and power-efficient 1GHZ Apple A4 chip, which I hope will be used for the iPhone Gen-4, also rumored to be called the iPhone HD. The graphics are powered by the PowerVR SGX GPU, which is pretty similar to the one in the iPhone 3GS and iPod Touch. The iPad responds almost instantly; The A4 chip offers an amazing touch-screen experience.

The power efficiency of the chip offers phenomenal, yes I mean phenomenal battery life! Apple promised 10 hours of use, and they were not kidding. I watched a whole hour of video on Netflix, and the battery was at 90%. If I had done this on my netbook, I would be down to around 40%; that’s a big deal! That’s not to say the battery doesn’t have some tricks up its sleeve. It takes up most of the space in the iPad, and forced Apple to go through great engineering lengths to fit it in along with the chipset.
The Wi-Fi antenna supports 802.11 b/g/n. Connection speeds are snappy, and I did not experience the Wi-Fi issues that many have been having since its launch (fix is coming soon for you guys, sit tight).

Web, and Email:

The main factor that separates the iPad from a traditional laptop or netbook is its lack of a physical keyboard.

They went with a bigger version of the iPhone keyboard, and the keys are nice and big, and properly spaced. You realize the use for that bezel around the screen during typing. It is there so that your palms don’t unintentionally touch the screen while typing. Is it comfortable to type on? Yes it is, as I am writing this review on it using the Pages app. It takes a bit of getting used to, but eventually you adjust.

The hardest part is getting it at an angle that is comfortable. For that, there is the Apple-made iPad case. It looks like a journal, or notepad, and allows you to use is as a stand; keeping the device at an angle by propping it up. I’ve also purchased the $69 iPad Keyboard Dock for even faster, and more natural typing.

Browsing in Safari is impressive- and very fast. Facebook, and NYTimes were a pleasure to browse through. It supports a Bookmark tab, and tabbed browsing. For example, when you click the window icon at the top, you are presented with all of your open windows, just tap and choose. Many sites have gone iPad-friendly, making the experience much more natural for touch.

Setting up email accounts in the Mail app is a breeze, much like it is on the iPhone. It supports Exchange, MobileMe, AOL, Gmail, Yahoo, and Other (POP, and IMAP servers). I love how the iWorks Suite integrates with the Mail app. For example, if I view an email with a Word file (.DOC) attached, it will give me the option to “Open in Pages” at the top-right. Same with Excel attachments, giving me “Open in Numbers”.

Using Microsoft Exchange in Mail, I was able to easily access my corporate e-mail and have it “pushed” to the iPad. My calendars and contacts were also synced over very easily.

Apps:

The iPad comes preloaded with the following 12 apps:

Contacts, Notes, Maps, Videos, YouTube, iTunes, App Store, Safari, Mail, Photos, and iPod.

However, the iPad has almost infinite potential due to the very large number of third-party developers developing for the platform. While not as big as the iPhone’s app selection, developers will fill up this void in no-time. Lots of existing apps are being ported over to the high-res screen.

Gaming on this thing is really something special. You have so much real-estate, so things aren’t crammed together like they are on the iPhone at times. Missing from the default apps are: Clock, Stocks, and Calculator. I found this strange at first, but after some thought it seems as though Apple is leaving them out so that it can bring them to us in Widget form. That could be why iPhone OS 4.0 is coming in the Fall for the iPad instead of Summer. There could be an OSX style Dashboard in the works!

iBooks:

Sorry Kindle, but you have some competition. The screen is bright and colorful, making illustrations more pleasant to the eye; but may also make them tired due to the backlight. While it doesn’t sport E-Ink like the Kindle does, it’s not too bad.

Page turns look and feel like page turns. There is a great bookmarking system where you can bookmark a piece of text, and go back to it at anytime using the Bookmarks page. Need to look up the definition of a word?- just highlight it, and select the built-in dictionary function to check.

The iBooks store is growing at an amazing pace. Many publishers are bringing over their library to Apple in order to tap into the enormous and growing user base. If you need an E-Reader, this is a serious alternative to the Kindle. I would recommend the Kindle over the iPad only if your primary use for the device would be for reading e-books.

Otherwise, you are getting much more extras with the iPad. For the price, you are getting a massive E-Book library, a media device, and a tablet computer with a huge App selection- heck, you can also download the Amazon Kindle app off of the AppStore to read your Amazon collection on the iPad (smart, Amazon, very smart!)

Verdict:

In my life, the iPad has taken the spot as the device I will be using for many of my day-to-day needs. The laptop/desktop is now used for more serious work such as running this blog, and graphic design.

I do have the WordPress app on the iPad, but it is somewhat limited at the moment. It is missing some key features such as copy/paste; so until WordPress updates their app to fit my needs, I’ll stick to the laptop.

Although many computing features are missing, I’m positive that OS 4 will slowly fill in the gaps starting this Fall. Apple must be working on a fairly different flavor for OS 4 on the iPad. We should see more sophisticated multitasking, widgets, and more. Why else would they make us wait until later this year? For now, my needs are met with the help of Cydia. I am very excited to see what developers do with this device over the coming months.

I wouldn’t say that you should rush to the Apple Store and pick one up yet. But if you have some extra money to blow on it, go for it. Given the high resale value of Apple products, you can sell this next year and pick up the new one. If you need a laptop replacement though, I advise you to wait for future updates.