iPhone 3G, 3GS get iOS 4.2.1 unlock, using risky ultrasn0w workaround
Can’t wait another minute for your iPhone 3G or iPhone 3GS to be carrier-unlocked once more? If and only if you’re already running the latest firmware, you can actually pilfer a bit of iPad code to pick the requisite locks — though there are some serious risks in doing so. The iPhone Dev Team has a new version of PwnageTool that uses the 6.15.00 baseband from iPad firmware 3.2.2, which just so happens to run perfectly on the iPhone 3G and 3GS since both phones and tablets of that era use the same Infineon radio chip. If you know your way around an IPSW and regularly bench-press SHSH blobs, you can download all the software you need right now — but if you don’t, you might want to steer clear of the proceedings for the time being. We spoke about risks a moment ago, and in this case there are quite a few — like the inability to downgrade from baseband 6.15 or ever do a full restore unless Apple relations improve, and it’s fairly likely that Cupertino won’t look kindly on your warranty if they find you running iPad software. Them’s the breaks, kid.
iOS 4.2.1 Jailbreak hits with updated redsn0w
The Dev-Team Blog was just updated with a new redsn0w version 0.9.6b4 jailbreak (based on Geohot’s Limera1n bootrom exploit) for iOS 4.2.1. Unfortunately, iOS device owners won’t find jailbreaking as easy as navigating to a website. And the 4.2.1 jailbreak is currently “tethered” so owners of the iPhone 4, iPad, and newer iPhone 3GS and iPod touch models will have to reattach to a PC or Mac to boot into a jailbroken state each time your device loses power or needs a reboot. Those of you who rely on the ultrasn0w unlock should hold off for now — good advice for anyone not comfortable with terms like “SHSH blobs” or “Cydia.” Everyone else can hit up the link below with a detailed how-to provided by Redmond Pie.
iOS 4.2 available to download
Hold on to your hats fanboys, because iOS 4.2 has finally arrived.
If you plug your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad into iTunes now, it should automatically prompt you to download the latest software for your iOS device – but if not you can always click “Check for Update” on your device page. You’ll need to be running the latest version of iTunes as well (10.1).
So what exactly does iOS 4.2 mean?
Well, apart from AirPlay, AirPrint, new device management capabilities and support for 25 additional languages, iOS 4.2 is also the first time that you’ve been able to multitask, create folders and get involved in all of the other iOS 4 goodness on your Apple tablet (the previous updated iPad software was version 3.2.2).
So, whilst you wait for iOS 4.2 to download and do its stuff on your iDevice, why not check out our guide: Read more 
Doom-themed live wallpaper for Android turns your phone into a playground of carnage
Okay, so maybe this isn’t the best choice for businessfolk sporting their new Droid Pros, but if you remember Doom as fondly as we do, you’re probably going to want to check this out. A dev over on xda-developers has posted information on his new Doom-themed live wallpaper — it doesn’t actually draw from the game itself, but he’s taken the bad guys (the important part) and reused them on a flat, stationary playing field of his own design. Basically, your hero strolls around battling baddies as they spawn; when he finally succumbs to his countless festering wounds, he respawns in a different room ad nauseam. It’s available in beta form for free in the Market right now — question is, are you tough enough to load it?
Official Google Voice app for iPhone hits the App Store
A few weeks after third-party apps started filtering in, Google’s launched its own Google Voice app for the iPhone, and it looks to have all the most important features: call and text support, push notifications, and voicemail access (including transcriptions). It’s available right now — US only at the moment — on iPhones with iOS 3.1 or higher as long as you’ve got a valid Google Voice account set up… so get to it.
Droid 2 update begins with promise of better battery life and more
We’ve receive a number of reports that a 2.3.20 software update for Verizon’s Droid 2 is slowly making the rounds this morning. The OTA push promises a number of improvements and enhancements with the promise of better battery life, faster transitions between WiFi and 3G data connection, and quicker location tracking when using GPS being perhaps the most notable. Here’s the full breakdown as we understand it:
Improvements:
- Improved battery life.
- Heightened proximity sensor accuracy to enable faster screen response.
- View the Weather widget in both landscape and portrait orientation.
- Simpler setup, improved user interactions, and better notifications for Visual Voice Mail.
- Background Email Sync during display inactivity for better user experience.
- Support for email domain suffixes containing more than three characters.
- Keep text messages organized with chronological in-box screen.
- Edit text messages after you’ve inserted a video file.
- Improved audio sound during recorded video playbacks.
- Stream Guided Tour videos on device in Help Center application with ease.
- Faster location tracking during GPS navigation.
- Faster transitions between Wi-Fi and 3G in data connection. Read more
Office 2011 for Mac is available
There are plenty of free, paid, web-based, desktop-bound, cross-platform, or uni-platform alternatives, but there can only be one Office. Microsoft’s flagship desktop suite of productivity applications just got a major new update. Office 2011 for Mac replaces Microsoft’s Mac-specific Entourage email app with the industry standard Outlook, brings in some interface tweaks from Office 2010 over in PC land, and integrates with those Office Web Apps you’ve been hearing so much about. The entire “Home & Business” bundle goes for $279, and if you’re not so into Outlook, you can get the Word / PowerPoint / Excel “Home & Student” version for $149.
BlackBerry Playbook tablet OS
Earlier today, RIM opened up its BlackBerry PlayBook devkit to all developers who may be interested in creating apps for the forthcoming tablet. The company also allowed anybody to download a beta ISO of its OS simulator, mainly to allow programmers to test their applications as they go.
However, Pocket-lint has gone through the (fairly) lengthy process to install the new OS on a PC, and this is what we’ve found… Read more
VLC downsized to fit on the iPhone and iPod touch, now playing in the App Store
If you like your players orange and portable but don’t have a tablet, you may be in luck. The VLC Media Player app, which recently made the iPad a little more codec-friendly, is now available in the App Store for the iPhone (4 and 3GS) and iPod touch. This new version is also said to support even more file types, offer better performance, and allows for the deletion of files right through its own interface. It’s available now, so get downloading — your classic cartoons await.
72 Windows Phone 7 tips and tricks
If you’re new to the OS or thinking about getting a phone with it on, check out our whopping list of 72 tips and tricks to get you started.
1. Using the Windows Phone 7 voice controls
Press and hold the Windows key at the bottom of your screen and you can start talking to your phone. Try saying “Open Calendar”, to see what we mean.
2. Adding apps to the Start screen
When you are in the long applications list on your phone pressing on an icon and holding brings up a contextual menu that gives you a series of options, one of which is “pin to start”. Press on this option and the app will be shown on the Start screen. Read more
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