USERBYTES.COM

Apple’s iPad tablet computer will be available in March starting at $499, but it already has sparked a range of questions about how it will work. The touch-screen multimedia device uses the same operating system as Apple’s popular iPhone and can access the 140,000 apps available to the iPhone and iPod Touch. USA TODAY reporter Jefferson Graham offers some answers:

Q: I need a data plan to get 3G wireless service on the iPad, but don’t I already have one from AT&T for my iPhone?

A: You’ll need an additional one. Prices are $14.99 for 250 MB of service (good for just e-mail) or $29.99 for unlimited access.

The good news: You’re not under a contract and can cancel at any time. Additionally, because the device works with Wi-Fi, you don’t necessarily have to spring for 3G.

Q: There’s no USB or SD slot. How do I get my photos, video and music files into the iPad?

A: Through iTunes and your PC or Mac computer. Think of the iPad as a giant iPhone or iPod (which of course, it is). Apple hasn’t changed the transfer system. You need to connect the iPad to your computer and sync the video, music and photos through iTunes.

But here’s a potential time-saver: Apple will release a 30-pin adapter — think of the wide end of the cable that syncs your iPod to your computer — to connect digital cameras and the iPad. Apple says it will work only with digital cameras, but can a hack for all sorts of media really be far behind?

Q: I already have my photos and videos stored online. Can’t I access them in the same way I do on the iPhone?

A: Photos on sites such as Facebook, Shutterfly and Phanfare will be easy to pull up — and even quicker if you go through one of their apps — but videos stored on Facebook and Shutterfly won’t play because they’re in the Flash format, which the iPad doesn’t support.

Q: The iPad is billed as the ultimate multimedia device, but I can’t play most Web video or animation? What’s up with that?

A: The iPhone and iPod Touch leave big white holes when you try to access video and animation on popular websites such as Hulu, Vimeo, Cartoon Network or Nickelodeon, which are displayed in Flash video.

Apple says it supports HTML5, a new Web video standard, and not Flash, without giving any reason.

Forrester Research analyst James McQuivey says that with all of the criticism about the strain on AT&T’s 3G network, Apple is better off not offering Flash support.

“It would kill the network,” he says. “People would be watching all day. Maybe two years from now, they could handle the traffic, but not now.”

There is a work-around for watching Web video: Use an app. YouTube, Break.com, CNN.com, MSNBC.com and many other big video sites have apps that let you watch video.

Q: The new iBooks app that will sell new releases of e-books sounds great. Since the store is in iTunes, can I buy the books and read them on my iPhone or iPod Touch?

A: No. Apple says the application for reading the books is only on the iPad.

Q: Can I listen to online music from Pandora on the iPad and compose an e-mail at the same time?

A: Nope. There’s no multitasking, just as there isn’t on the iPhone or Touch.

That has been one of the biggest criticisms of the iPhone and a selling point for competing devices such as those using Google’s Android system, which does have multitasking.
SOURCE: usatoday.com

A lot of my readers are asking what dyndns is and what is it for. Well let me devote an entire post to that and clear things up.

DynDns is a free service offered to those that have a dynamic IP address that changes often.

See if you visit http://www.ipchicken.com right now it will show you your ip address. This is your address on the internet. Its like your home address only its in a digital world.

DynDns.com gives you a free sub-domain that points to that number so that you don’t have to remember it and especially remember it each time it may change.

In a previous article I wrote about downloading torrents remotely, I discussed how I use dyndns.com along with my router to keep my IP address pointing to the name thebatchfile.homeip.net which I got for free from dyndns.com. This way I could always access Utorrent while away from home using my iphone without the worry of remembering an IP address that could possibly change on me from time to time since I do not pay for a static IP address with my internet provider.

In order for dyndns.com to work for you, you will need to first visit their site and sign up for a free account. Then you will need to either use one of their free IP address update applications to run on your computer to keep your IP address changes synchronized with their database OR you may can set it up in your router if you have one.

I think its safe to say that almost all routers have a configuration page you can access from your web browser. To be able to access your routers web configuration you need to know its address internal to you network.

To figure out the address of your router do this. If you are on a windows computer click START then RUN and type the letters CMD and press enter. This will bring up a command prompt window. Now type in ipconfig /all in the window and press enter. Read more…

Ok I think through all my trials and searching I have finally found a really good windshield or dashmount for the iPhone.

I was shopping in Target this week and noticed that they had one that looked very interesting. It was from a new brand I have never heard of called Speck.

I had been seeing a lot of Speck cases and what not for the iPhone all the day long as I shopped today. This however looked like something I had been searching for, for quite some time.

This kit provides you with a base that can be mounted on the dash or suctioned to the windshield, a belt clip, a snap on case for the iPhone, ipod touch, or ipod nano, audio aux cable, and also an additional swivel attachment so that you can get every possible angle you need out of this thing.

As soon as I got to the car I took it out of the package and pretend to mount it on the dash to see how well this was going to workout. I could see right away that I didn’t want to give up my Incipio Case for the one they provide. The one that they provide is almost perfect for this.  See on the pack of it there is a square piece of plastic and it happens to fit in the other square on the mount.

This was not a deal breaker for me. I like to modify things, and I had been looking way to long for a decent mount.

All I had to do was take the piece that came with the kit for the ipod nano, widdle it down a bit with a grinder, super glue it to my Incipio Case and I was done.

I tried to find a good link to provide you with so you get pick up one for yourself but I had no luck. I guess the easiest thing to do is visit Target and see if they have one there.

Here is the exact same thing but its by a different company.

http://www.iq-ss.com/index.aspx?menuid=12&type=introduct&lanmuid=66&language=en

I included some photos from my setup.

I know I have said this time and time again but it really is and it can only get better and better.

Yesterday I went out of town to go shopping before all the last minute hustlers and bustlers ruled the road as well as the mall. I cant stand to be in the mall or on the roads with too many people that are aimless. I mean I see them walking in the malls like zombies with no clue as what they are doing there other than to be in my way. Same goes for the roads. I saw several drivers that failed to yield or even stop at stop signs. It was a mess.

This is how it is year after year. I started Christmas shopping early several years ago to avoid this mess but this year I have slacked a little. Luckily before the week of Christmas I am done.

Anyways back to why the iPhone is amazing, I was traveling yesterday and I had this song rattling in my head for several days now. I had this song in my collection at home once but I have somehow lost it. The day before this trip I looked hard for it as I was preparing my iPhone and my USB Flash DriveUSB Flash Drive full of music to listen to while traveling.

My car stereo is amazing too. It can receive music from my iPhone over bluetooth as well as play music back from a USB flash drive.

So I had just about shuffled through all of my music and I was still thinking about that song that I didn’t have that I really wanted to hear.

As I was traveling down Interstate 240 and cars were zooming all around like it was the Autobahn or Indy 500 I did a semi dangerous thing and decided to use my iPhone while driving, and launch the iTunes app within it (which I never use) and see if I could find that song and say what the hell and purchase it if I found it. Can I do this while driving down the road? You bet your jiggawatts you can and with ease too! Just a few clicks and 4 minutes is all it took.

Here is the song. Its Amerie 1 Thing. Very catchy tune.

I think later of course used my TomTom app on the phone to navigate to another store. Listing to music while navigating, and I get a phone call in the middle of it all and the music fades, I answer the call over the stereo that is also kick butt, and after the call, the TomTom app goes right back the where it was, and the music resumes.

This phone is just amazing!!!

Operation Chokehold: Hey its worth a shot right?

I’ll tell you something — I’m really sick of the sorry ATT network as of late. It is extremely pathetic. I hear the engineers are friggin livid. And, because they’re engineers, and they can, they’ve come up with a plan to teach AT&T a lesson. They’re calling it Operation Chokehold. Last night I got this email that they’ve been sending around inside Apple, encouraging people to join the crusade:

Subject: Operation Chokehold
On Friday, December 18, at noon Pacific time, we will attempt to overwhelm the AT&T data network and bring it to its knees. The goal is to have every iPhone user (or as many as we can) turn on a data intensive app and run that app for one solid hour. Send the message to AT&T that we are sick of their substandard network and sick of their abusive comments. THe idea is we’ll create a digital flash mob. We’re calling it in Operation Chokehold. Join us and speak truth to power!

If anyone has ideas, use the comment strings. Tell your friends. Get people involved. We have a few days to create a movement and plan a major assault.

Remember to turn OFF your Wi-Fi during that hour. There would be NO point if a bunch of people are browsing YouTube in their office or home and they are using their daily Wi-Fi without knowing. This would not affect ATT in the least bit.

Turn off your Wi-Fi, if you have no better choice, just browse through the YouTube app

Remeber folks this is to be done at NOON pacific time, that’s 1 p.m. Mountain time, 2 p.m. Central time and 3 p.m. Eastern time.

I myself plan on watching some YouTube videos or listening to Slacker radio for an hour.