text:
Is it possible to use an iPad as an additional computer monitor?
I just ran across this app from Maxivista that allows you to use your iPad as a second monitor. It's just like their other app that lets you use another computer as an additional monitor, such as a laptop. The problem is, however, it's a bit sluggish as it has to use WiFi to send what is basically a video signal.
So, are there any solutions that allow you to use an iPad as an additional screen via USB?

That would require some fancy footwork on the USB end of things, and I'm not clear that the current APIs allow iPad programs to get that low-level yet. You might need to look in the non-apple app stores.

Recently Air Display announced a beta of the Windows client so now there are two choices but it also works only over Wifi so I would imagine they would both have lag issues.

Air Display doesn't lag bad, but it uses compression so you get pixelation for a second on motion, but it clears quickly.  I use it with my Mac but I see the Windows version is released now too.  Will download it when I get home.

Duet Display lets you easily turn an iPad or an iPhone into a secondary display. It works with both Mac and Windows computers.

Note that as of High Sierra 10.13.4, Duet (and all their competitors) doesn't work anymore. Everyone is working on a fix, but all these solutions are dead in the water for the time-being. More info: https://www.macrumors.com/2018/03/30/mac-desktop-extender-duet-bug-macos-10-13-4/

Fast forward Fall 2019, macOS and iPadOS (rebranded the iOS operating system software running on iPad), now supports this natively.
The following Apple Support document talks in detail about using your iPad as your Mac's mirrored or extended display.

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210380

The key points are:

The feature is available on macOS Catalina 10.15 and iPadOS 13 and later.
The iPad can be used both as an extended display or a mirrored display.
The iPad can be connected to both wirelessly or via the USB cable.
Not all the Macs and iPad capable of running macOS Catalina and iPadOS 13 support Sidecar. List of supported devices can be found here:

https://support.apple.com/kb/HT210380#systemrequirements

Both the devices need to be signed in to iCloud with the same Apple ID.


text:
iPad with retina display?
I'm about to buy an iPad, but I don't want to, if in 6 months, the new version has cooler features like retina display.
Is there a chance for it to happen? Or should I buy it now, and just, enjoy it for the next months.

I don't think anyone outside Apple really knows

The next version of the iPad will have features of sufficient coolness that a meaningful number of current iPad owners will want to trade up.  Plus, many households will want to have more than one iPad.

Pretty much anything you buy will be outdated in a few months ...

-1 for being purely speculative. Theres no sense in asking questions about unannounced Apple products, and even less sense trying to make purchasing decisions based on that muddy crystal ball. Decide based on what you know today - or decide to postpone your decision until new devices are announced.

@torbengb: Good point. Looking at this site's Area 51 entry, something very similar is listed as definitely off-topic ("What's Apple going to release in the next generation iPad?").

Maybe the right question to ask is: is current featureset of the gadget worth the money over the expected period (6-18 months) until the new version arrives ? If yes, go ahead. Waiting for better improved version may also mean you never get one as there is always going to be better version.
What works for me is skip-one, buy-one approach, getting every second update. You can decide whether you start with version one or two: I had same dilema with iPhone: I skipped the version one, bought 3G, skipped 3GS and now considering getting iPhone 4 when it arrives to Canada.
With iPad, I bought one right away as I waited for eBook reader that works for me and iPad is definitely one. I will very likey skip iPad 2 and likely get iPad 3 2-3 years from now.

Sounds like a reasonable strategy. Apple makes a new version of iPhone (and possibly iPad as well) once a year. Amazon follows more or less a similar timeline (often delayed). I bought a Kindle2 three months ago; now Kindle3 is going to be out in a month (no big differences though). I will likely wait for Kindle4.

Apple has update cycles ranging from 6 to 18 months, with the most popular consumer devices getting annual improvements. Many sites keep track of the history of devices such as this apple buying guide:
MacRumors Buyer's Guide.
Apple has also gotten into trouble with consumers for dropping prices after they've squeezed their early adopters. Given historical precedent, Apple will realize the technical specs for the iPad are underpowered and they will likely release a new one at the year mark (April 2011) or even sooner. If you can wait 9 months, you can likely get more features or a secondhand device at a discount.
You can compare the tech specs for the screens on apples site.
The iPad:

9.7-inch (diagonal) LED-backlit glossy widescreen Multi-Touch display with IPS technology
1024-by-768-pixel resolution at 132 pixels per inch (ppi)

iPhone with Retina Display:

3.5-inch (diagonal) widescreen Multi-Touch display
960-by-640-pixel resolution at 326 ppi

There isn't a direct correlation between the two devices. The iPad however is advertised as an HD video viewer supporting 720p. Apple may see no need to increase resolution beyond the current level for the next release, but 1080p support would appear to be the next logical resolution update.

Links to specs on Apple site prevented due to low rep. I totally left out the obvious camera and face time support in the next rev.

http://uk.reuters.com/article/idUKTOE66M00620100723  suggests that iPad production will be held back due to screen availability.
Either LG will step up and produce more screens, or Apple will may need to find a new screen source.

@SpecKK I added some links for the iPhone and iPad, if I got the wrong ones please add a comment, or you should be able to add multiple links yourself now.

IMHO I'd say the buy vs. wait is a problem is always there on all gadget purchases. The longer you wait the better off you will be (larger community of knowledgeable user, accessories, price, features, stability, etc.) On the other hand you could find yourself perpetually waiting and thats no fun
Personally I wait when
1) A new product announcement has been made so I put off my purchase until the product is released.
2) I have a product that fills my current need (in the case of an iPad a small laptop) and it still has some life in it.
3) The technology is still in its infancy and its value is limited due to a low network effect (e.g. 3D TV)
In the case of the iPad I think only 2 is in play.

I'm guessing it's likely there will be a CPU and most certainly a RAM upgrade in the next 6-8 months. Also it is clear that Apple wants to be the leader in the Ereader market and a better display would make a massive difference.
So yeah it's possible and my gut feel is that it is likely a retina display will ship in the next 6-8 months.  But only Apple knows and information rarely leaks out 6 months before launch.
Nonetheless, I am using an iPad to type this reply and to me it feels like a second generation device not a first gen device. It always works, battery life is awesome and its a real awesome device for browsing while sitting on the couch. Personally if I had a real use for an iPad I would buy it. You can always sell it on ebay in 5 months if you want the next gen

typing on iPad is beyond horrible though. It is a good passive browsing device, however.

@Jeff: was that your initial reaction, or after a significant time of usage? I thought pretty much the same at first, but even after just a few days, typing is getting a lot easier. Just learning to trust the keyboard was part of the problem.

That's exactly why I'm holding off. I believe an iPad with retina display (and possibly camera) will be in the next iteration. Can you imagine that display???
IMO, iPad is already awesome, so you can't lose buying one now, if you can afford it. I found out the hard way that I couldn't afford it - my wife made me return it lol.

Although that seems like an obvious upgrade, DO take into account the MUCH larger size of the iPad's screen. I'm not at all sure on the costings - I'm sure someone could work it out - but I wouldn't be hugely surprised if a retina screen were much more expensive, possibly even prohibiting it from the next release.

GDGT says it's unlikely

...given what's out there today, I think the technological leap required to make a 9.7-inch 2560 x 1920 display possible isn't right around the corner.

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sort: votes


text:
Recording iPad Video Output on Mac
I'd like to record video output from my iPad on my Mac.  I know there is a VGA output adapter for the iPad.  What hardware and software do I need on the Mac side?
Details:

I have a two-year-old iMac and year-old MacBook.  I can use either one for the recording.
I will be recording an iPad app that has support for video output (it's an app I'm developing myself)
I don't care much about what the final video format is.  Ideally, QuickTime, but really anything displayable on a Mac is fine.

Alternatively, if there is a much easier/cheaper way to record on a Windows box rather than Mac, I could do that too.

There's a guide here you might find helpful. The guide suggests using the iPad VGA connector and a VGA to USB converter. The suggested converter is a bit steep at $299, but you might be able to find a cheaper alternative.

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text:
Which solutions are available for printing on the iPad to a HP LaserJet 1020 printer?
I have an HP LaserJet 1020 connected to an IOGear network print server.
Currently the iPad doesn't support printing out of the box, however I have heard there are several third-party solutions on the market, each with a mixed bag of results.
Which solutions are available and which is the most versatile or successful?

Apple has indicated printing will be available with the iOS 4.2 release, currently scheduled for November 2010.

I've looked at this issue before for my parents.  Apparently there are many solutions that do part of the full range of (document types, printers) well.
My suggestion is this: http://mobile.eurosmartz.com/prod_index.html#comparison
I'm trying out PrintBureau. Wish they had a demo version so I could test before buying.

Print n share is an app I use on my iPad. I don't have an AirPrint enabled printer, but with this app, I can print via the weprint server on my Mac from the iPad. I would definitely recommend taking a look at this app. luck

My wife and I have been using Printopia for a while now and it works perfectly for us. I have it installed on my computer and anyone with any iOS device can see it when they choose print in iOS. They then choose our HP 1022n which is connected to our AirPort Extreme base station and that's it, printing.
http://www.ecamm.com/mac/printopia/
We print from two iPad (3), an iPhone 4 and a 4S, and our friends have a variety of iOS devices of different vintages (and OS versions) and they too can print on our network.

Printopia works fine for me, but my iPhone talks via wifi to my Mac, which is physically connected to the printer.

Right GEdgar, I don't think it matters how the connection from Mac to printer is made, my bad for describing that as it sounds like it's the only way. I was just describing my setup.

I would recommend Fingerprint 2 from Collobos Software. From the developers site:

FingerPrint automatically discovers all printers connected to your Mac
  or PC and makes them available to your iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch.
  For a fraction of the cost of a new printer, FingerPrint breathes new
  life into the printers you already own.

The basic premise of the software is that you install it on a PC or MAC and it acts as a simple print server proxy to provide any access to any printers connected to your computer. It offers work flow integration and security (ACL's). You must be on a WiFi connection to be able to print. I use this software daily and it "just works". It's not an inexpensive solution ($19.95) but for the money it is incredibly simple to setup and will have your printing in under 5 minutes.
Developers site: Collobos Software

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text:
Is it possible sync only iPad-optimized apps to my iPad?
It is tedious to manually pick iPad-optimized apps from all the apps in iTunes when syncing with iPad. I just want

iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad Apps - apps designed for both iPhone and iPad, and
iPad Apps - apps designed for iPad only

on my iPad, but not

iPhone and iPod touch Apps - apps designed for iPhone only.

@an0 I've tried to clarify the question so it reads like I think you intended, please feel free to edit the question further if I've misunderstood your intent.

Good question. It's annoying to have new iPhone-only apps I've purchased appear in iPad too.

I too am amazed that Apple hasn't made a deeper way to do this: a checkbox that tells iTunes that you want only iPad and Universal apps on the iPad, no apps that aren't built for the bigger screen.

Under the Apps tab in iTunes (when your iPad is plugged in), you should be able to sort your applications by type, using the dropdown box above the list of apps. I believe you can then move down the list with your arrow keys and press the spacebar to check/uncheck the ones you don't want. It's not quite automatic, but I think this may be the fastest way to do it.
(I can't verify 100% the key presses here; I'm on a machine right now that doesn't have iTunes installed.)

Go into iTunes click on "apps" and under the category "iPhone and iPod touch apps" - delete them all.
Now that answer was way too simple so I am assuming you also have an iphone so you want the apps to remain in your store?
If so - after jailbreaking your ipad there is a cydia crack that changes the display icons of non-ipad apps to have a black border. Not ideal but these can easily be distinguished on the ipad to delete when in moving/deleting app mode.

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text:
Can I use an iPad effectively without a computer to dock it to?
I'm interested in buying an iPad, but I'm trying to understand what the implications are of not synchronise/docking it with a computer. I only have Linux (Ubuntu) machines these days; I have nothing running Windows or MacOS. As far as I understand, there is no official support for Linux (I am aware of libimobiledevice, but would like not to rely on it).
I'm used to my HTC Desire, which is able to synchronise most things I care about (IMAP, Google Mail, Google Calendar being three key ones) over the air, and I'd like to work this way with the iPad. When folks speak about the iPad, there seems to be a lot of talk of docking it with the computer, but I'm not clear why this would be needed/desirable. Can iPad apps typically sync over the air? I've seen reference to MobileMe, but that implies that this facility is not built in and may cost extra.
What do I lose by not docking/syncing the iPad to a computer? Can I do that - buy it and use it indefinitely without docking it? Will I lose any major functionality?
Thanks.

IIRC, an iPhone HAS to be registered through iTunes...

@ck01: Apple activated mine at the store right away, on their iTunes.

Of note - the answers on this page are significantly outdated at this point. With iOS5 and above, using iOS devices without an computer to sync to has been improved a great deal. iCloud has introduced syncing to the cloud, and updates can be done without connecting to a computer.

If you get a 3G iPad, I think the 3G data plan has to be activated through iTunes.  If you get Wi-Fi-only iPad, this isn't an issue.
Note that you can probably get by if you have a friend with a Mac or PC who will let you sync once in a while for these rare needs.
Syncing is also useful for these needs:

Backup
Transferring photos (although you can e-mail them instead)
Syncing calendar and contacts
Getting music, videos, and books from iTunes Music Store (you can d/l songs over the air, but I think the other media types have to be done through desktop)

But if you don't need those areas of functionality (and many people won't), then you won't miss syncing.  Basically, if you don't expect to use Apple's built-in apps, you won't need sync.
MobileMe is really only useful if you have a Mac or PC.  It makes it easy to sync calendar and contacts across multiple machines over the air.  A few third-party apps use it as well, but not many.
Third-party apps typically sync over the air, because Apple's sync is not very open to third-party developers.
FWIW, since getting my iPad, the only time I turn on my MacBook is when I want to backup/sync purchases or charge my iPad.  I'm not saying that the iPad is a complete substitute for a laptop, but it is definitely a useful device all by itself.

Kristopher, thanks for your thorough reply. I think I might expect (for example) to use the inbuilt calendar app and synchronise that with Google Calendar. Are you saying that's not possible without sync via PC/Mac?

If the iPad matches the iPhone software, then you should be able to sync mail, contacts and calendar with outside sources over the air (for instance, on my iPhone, I have my contacts and my calendar synced to my Google Account).

I haven't tried syncing calendar or contacts with Google or with Exchange, so can't comment on whether it works or how well.

Exchange Syncing works well. Better than OS X even. I dunno about Google syncing.  Google's calendar protocol has always sucked, and their Gmail/IMAP implementation is incredibly sketchy, but seems to work well enough.

Has this changed with iOS 5? Because I am pretty sure that iOS 5 has self-updating built in.

I've edited your answer to make it more up-to-date. Updates are done over the air with iOS 5.

Andrew,
The iPad and iPhone can do all the important things you mention you can do with the HTC Desire (Gmail, Calendar, IMAP mail) in several ways:

All email accounts (gmail, IMAP,
exchange, POP) are all equal players
in the Mail app, you just need to
set them up and you can google the
instructions for how to do it
directly on the phone.
Calendar is similar, with the
exception of exchange accounts (they
provide both email and calendar in
one setup)
You can install and update apps
directly on the app

What you will miss if you don't connect to iTunes desktop application:

Music and Video cannot be synced
to the device for the iPod app.  If
you can live with purchasing iTunes Store music and videos (or youtube/last.fm/Pandora), then no biggie.
Photos sync using iTunes as well,
but you can also theoretically use
the camera sync tool to pull off
your camera (or card) directly into
an iPad.
No backups of your device (I'd miss
this feature).  You can't do online
backups of your iOS profile, but
only with sync and only with iTunes.
No SW updates.  This will be
noticeable when iOS 4.x for the iPad
is released, which gives
multitasking and folder management.

I'd say, all in all, even without a desktop, the iPad is a useful device.  I got a while back and my parents have latched on to it, and they don't sync but it fills all their needs.  I sync it every week or so to do backups and OS updates as necessary (last month it hasn't seen iTunes at all, and it's doing fine)

@torbengb
I remember using Exchange facility on iPhone to integrate Google's calendar into iPhone's calendar, over the air.  Suppose this is not possible on the iPad?

Ah, you're right! I would expect this to be available on the iPad as well, so there would really be no need for a computer, except for 3G activation.

Google calendar has a full CalDAV server interface.  iOS is a fully capable CalDAV client... = peanut butter + chocolate...   http://blogs.sun.com/chienr/entry/configuring_caldav_on_iphone_3

Since you're an Ubuntu user and already own an Android device, you may be better suited waiting for a good Android tablet.  I know there isn't anything out there right now that can compete with the iPad, but if you give it 6 months, there may be something that will fill your needs (read: wants).

Have you considered running a virtual machine? I did that with my Zune for a while when I cut my nasty Windows habit. You could install Windows in VirtualBox and just use it to sync the iPad with iTunes or Wi-Fi Sync. . . depending on whether it's worth the hassle to you. This way you could still do your backups and get SW updates.
Also, from what I recall, there are ways to sync iDevices to Ubuntu. Rhythmbox and Amarok are ones I can think of off the top of my head.
You can also check out this article. Says 10.04 supports iDevices OOB (but you said you'd rather not depend on libimobiledevice)

I find that Dropbox greatly increases my ability to rely solely on my iPad And iPhone for long periods without using my desktop or laptop. I can get source code, word or PowerPoint documents,and edit them all on my iPad. Then save them all back to Dropbox.  No need to use iTunes synch.  I cannot compile, but I can use LogMeIn to do so on a desktop when needed.  It is really nice not having to pop open a laptop and worry about its battery.  Of course, I don't have an Air.  But. The iPad is pretty powerful by itself.

You might have more success if you jailbreak it, in which case usage patterns Apple didn't think of (such as using it w/o iTunes, or wi-fi sync) become available.

Of late, the way iOS has matured with the continual release of new iPhones and iPads, it is entirely possible (and quite common) to set up and use an iPad without docking it to a computer.
It started with the release of iOS 5 when iOS devices became PC free (iTunes/USB no longer needed to activate new devices via a computer). The iOS software update also started getting offered as OTA (over-the-air) updates.
A majoring of casual users these days use an iPad as their primary computing device without owning a PC/Mac. 3rd party apps have evolved as well and there are apps available on the App Store for every conceivable need by almost every major vendor. That makes managing things like email and calendar a breeze. More and more website are now touch-screen/tablet compatible, and all major browsers are now available natively for iPad.
For information on setting up your iOS device without needing a PC/Mac, refer to the Apple Support article, Set up your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch.

We're trying to find the best answers and those answers will provide supporting info as to why they're the best.  Answers should be self-contained so explain why you think the answer you provided will solve the problem or is better than others out there.  URL can change over time, rendering your answer meaningless.  See [answer] on how to provide a quality answer. - From Review

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text:
Is it possible to pre-install apps on an iPad?
We're giving away iPads (for real, and no you can't have one) as part of a promotion to our referral network. But the plan is to ship it pre-installed with our sales presentation apps and sign-up tools.
However, you can't install an app on an iPad until you've activated it through iTunes.
Is there some method anyone's aware of that would mean we can pre-install these apps on the pad before giving it to the recipient to activate?

I would just add a clause on the promotion saying the iPads would go already activated so you could add the app and people were free to delete or reset to factory default as they wish.

Contact your local Apple Store and ask to speak to one of their Business Consultants (each store has one.)  If you are buying bulk quantities of iPods Apple used to offer digital etching of your company logo on the back as well as the ability to preload it with promotional content (e.g. videos), I am not sure if they are doing this with Apps on the iPad but it is worth a shot and the Business Consultant is the person who would know or have the resources to find out.

The custom program (as of August 2011) still only applies to iPod models - you still should ask, but this isn't something that is standard for iPads.

When I picked up my iPhone 4 at the App store they were able to pre-activate it with the computer there so that I could start using it, but it still wasn't linked to a computer.  I was able to download some apps from the app store right away (linking it to my iTunes account).  Then when I got home I connected it to my computer and gave it a name and set everything up, completing the activation process.  It installed all the apps from my old iPod Touch onto the iPhone, keeping the new apps I installed.
I asked the sales rep about it at the Apple store and he said it was a special configuration they had on their computers there.  So you might be able to do that with your iPads (although they didn't offer when I got my iPad) and then install your apps before sending them out.
Of course it would require you have an Apple store close by.

I think, the only way to do this without hacking the iPads OS would be an OEM version of the iPad OS. I don't know if Apple offers something like that.

I get the impression Apple is allergic to the idea of an OEM.

It looks like you may have to look into the Enterprise Distribution solution.
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#featuredarticles/FA_Wireless_Enterprise_App_Distribution/Introduction/Introduction.html
Also using the iPhone config utility.  I am not sure if it works with the iPad as well.
http://developer.apple.com/library/ios/#featuredarticles/FA_iPhone_Configuration_Utility/Introduction/Introduction.html

This is very doable. You could prepare one iPad the manner you prefer and store that backup image in iTunes.
Each new iPad could be booted into restore mode (hold the home button while the iPad is off and connect it to the computer, holding the home button.)
You can then restore your image onto the iPad. Shut off the iPad, re-wrap it and optionally put your card in the box so the recipient is reminded you set it up personally for them.  You can easily be quite neat and do all this with the Aapple wrapping around the iPad itself nearly undisturbed except for the tab by the dock connector. It folds back well and the weight if the iPad soon makes it perfectly re-sealed.
Shrink wrapping the outside iPad box again gives the recipient that brand new feeling.
The licensing of your sales apps needs to be discussed so as to avoid the user from losing them on a restore without a backup. You have several options there from enterprise signing, volume purchase, custom app through apple or plain old gifting once the recipient sends your their Apple ID. But, the iPad will work out of the box and you have time to follow up with each recipient to keep them going.


text:
How can I sync Outlook with my iPad?
I have a Outlook synced with my HTC Hero, but now I also want to sync it with my new iPad.
However, I never touched an Apple product before, so I have absolutely no idea how to do this.
So can anyone explain me where these settings are hidden?

Use iTunes to Sync Your iPad With Your Outlook Calendar.

Update iTunes in the computer to the recent version: click "Help" --> "Check for Updates."
Use the cable which comes with your iPad to connect it directly to new computer.
iTunes will launch in the PC automatically.
In the iTunes source list, select your ipad and click on "Info" tab -> the "Sync Outlook calendars" option.
In the lower right-hand corner of your screen, you can find the "Apply" button. Click it on.
Then your computer will sync with your iPad.

Thanks that worked, that's what I get for trying to work around iTunes...

If you want it synced OTA, then you can sync outlook to a gmail account (both messages and calendar), then sync your iPad with the same gmail account. This has the advantage that things that show up in outlook show up pretty quickly on your iPad (not instantly - the gmail to outlook sync isn't instantaneous) without having to plug the iPad in.

Does this also sync contacts and calendar?

Yes. I do this with my iPhone - outlook contacts and calendar sync up to gmail and then down to the phone. I actually said messages, but I haven't done that myself, and I should note that I might be wrong on that - you might have to grab mail directly from wherever it comes from (the iOS mail clients can connect to pretty much any kind of mail server directly).


text:
How can I stream files to my iPad?
I have loads of videos and music on my computer, which I want to watch on my iPad.
However, I want to stream it to it, so I can grab what I feel like watching rather than having to preload everything.
I would like to stream these over wifi and they should be Windows 7 compatible

I'm very happy with Air Video(*). Lifehacker have a feature on it.
(*) Have only used it on an iPhone, no iPads in Sweden yet :-(

Planning to try this one @Nifle, but waiting for my credit card to arrive ;-)

@Ivo - They have a link to a free version on their homepage. Don't know how it differs from the full version though.

It only shows you three files in your folder, so you don't get access to all your content

Try StreamToMe. It is free and works quite well.

Strange it says here that it's $2.99, guess I'll have to wait for my credit card to arrive

TVersity works great for me. Basically, you set up a home server (it's all web-based) and it will convert real-time. Seeking is a bit of an issue, though apparently they're working on it.

+1 because it works, but I'll have to test how well it does multimedia

I use SubSonic to stream music from my library at home to my iPad (among other devices). It works well.

Air Video works much fine on iPad like it's on iPhone.

I've been using ZumoCast for quite some time now and like it. It's been stable on my Windows XP HTPC and streams to my iPhone and iPad are great. It transcodes all kinds of formats on the fly. I've yet to see an encoding or format trip it up.
One feature I quite like about it is it'll transcode and store the stream to the media on my phone. So I can set it up at night, on my phone, to bring down a bunch of transcoded video files and have my own in-flight entertainment on the plane in the AM.
It should also let to stream when you're off of your home network but I don't ever use that feature.

I have a feeling this won't be what you are looking for, but this is what Apple's Home Sharing is more or less designed to do. You'd just have to make sure all of the music and videos are imported into iTunes and that iTunes is running on the computer and the iPad and iTunes are using the same Apple ID.
Here's Apple's "Understanding Home Sharing" page:
http://support.apple.com/kb/HT3819

the best apps using smb protocol to play video audio and show photos pdf and downdload if you want or just stream

remote files
remote files free (pro)
fileexplorer

for video audio player only

aceplayer
oplayer
moliplayer hd

"Best" is usually relative, it will make the answer more useful for others if you add some details about what you like about these apps. Also links would be nice.

I'm surprised to not see Plex mentioned yet.  Plex is both a media server, front end GUI for watching on a computer and mobile app for streaming content from your media server.  It is extremely straight forward to set up both for at home use and remote streaming via a free Plex account.  The computer version is free and the iOS app is $5.
You can download Plex for your PC at https://plex.tv/downloads and Plex for your iOS device at https://itunes.apple.com/us/app/plex/id383457673?mt=8
I've used both for 3-4 years now, often to watch content stored at home while traveling, with little to no complaints.
With that said.  I know that Plex can connect to your iTunes library and play it through the home theater interface but I don't know that this same functionality is present in the iOS app.

Audiogalaxy works great, but is for audio only.

authors: Максим Поволоцкий


text:
How can I buy apps in the App Store without a credit card?
While I'm waiting for my credit card to arrive, I still want to be able to buy some apps for my iPad!
Are there alternative ways to pay for apps, without resorting to someone else's credit card?

Using prepaid iTunes store gift cards is my preferred method. I have had unauthorized payments go through before on the iTunes store, and it was a pain to get the credit back. If you use the gift cards, Apple can much more easily credit you for fraudulent charges.

I don't know if this is applicable to your country, but in Germany, Apple sells iTunes apps cards especially for buying apps in the app store.

The UK and US have them too

Just what I needed!

Does it have to be an App card or will any iTunes card work?  And where do you enter the card number?

Any iTunes card will do

Wow, that's interesting. Before I posted my answer I found hints that the normal iTunes cards could not be used to buy apps. But the description of the cards indeed tell it clearly: both card types can be used for music, videos and apps.

In the UK, you can definitely use standard iTunes gift cards (that you can get from department stores, garages, supermarkets etc) to put into an iTunes account and then use that credit to buy apps. I've bought the cards as gifts for people for that very reason.

@Martin In the UK you can purchase them in most major supermarkets too, as well as a variety of other places, I'm sure :)

The iTunes store accepts Paypal, so if you can get money to Paypal you're all set.  I'm pretty sure Paypal has many ways to get money to them (mail them a check, give them your account number, etc.).
The trick seems to be that you have to sign up in iTunes on your Mac/PC -- the App Store on my iPod doesn't have Paypal as an option.

No, you'd still need to have a credit card in your PayPal account to be able to use it for iTunes. It doesn't matter if you have another source of funds (bank account, PayPal balance, etc.), if the PayPal account doesn't have a credit card, iTunes will not let you use it.

Wow, that's crazy.  I had no idea.  (I'd forgotten I have a check card on my Paypal.)  Apple refused to accept my credit card for iTunes, so I had to use Paypal.  I guess Paypal is my money laundering service!

PayPal is not presented as a payment option in iTunes for many countries.

Many supermarkets and grocery stores sell pre-paid gift cards. You can purchase a Visa, Mastercard, American Express, etc, gift card with cash, check, etc, at these supermarkets and then use the number on the front wherever they ask for a credit card number.
(This method is actually a preferred method for the security-conscience as well. Reason: if someone gets ahold of your card number they can only take the small amount of money that you have loaded onto the card. This provides confidence for those worried about entering their card number online.)

Get a 3V number, this is a virtual Credit Card that can be prepaid, so you dont need to worry about running up bills, but lets you do what a credit card does.

Don't think it works. At least not in the US. Apple is paranoid about validating the billing address. These cards I believe don't have a billing address. Are these the virtual versions of the prepaid Visa cards sold at Target and elsewhere?

Just to let you or some folks around to know. Again similar to the first answer in German AppleStore you can actually link your Apple Account with ClickandBuy where you can actually have transferred funds from your bank directly and if you also happened to have online banking with your bank (who doesn't?) you could top-up your ClickandBuy account almost instantaneously using a thing called SofortÜbervisung. Just to clarify I do not have a credit card and I'm not planning to get one.


text:
How to remove autocomplete items from the TO: field in Mail?
PROBLEM:
I have bogus entries in the autocomplete cache for the TO: field in the iPad e-mail application.
QUESTION:
How do I get rid of these entries that do not correspond to real e-mail recipient addresses?

If your device were jailbroken, the story would be different. With SSH access to the underlying filesystem, the file where that is stored could be found and wiped :) (I don’t know where it is, but I’m sure it has to be somewhere) :O)

i have the same problem and unfortunately i believe the only current solution is doing a restore of the phone.  once the phone reconnects to itunes, select set up as new phone and resync your apps and other content over.  you will also have to reconfigure all your settings including mail.

There's no way to do it, at least none that i'm aware of.  OS X Mail has the previous recipients list that you can edit, but i'm not sure if those changes get synced back and forth or not.

There is an option. On your iPad, go to Settings > General > Keyboard
and disable auto-correction.


text:
How can I share my iMac's internet connection with my iPad?
i have an iMac, that has internet access via cable (no WiFi).
I know, that my iMac has Wi-Fi access point.
How can I share the internet connection of iMac with iPad?

The answer you're looking for, though, is Internet Sharing:

Go into the System Preferences on your iMac
Go to Sharing, then click on Internet Sharing
In the dropdown, indicate that you want to "Share your connection from" Ethernet
Check the Airport box
You have the option to set your network name, channel, and to use WEP encryption by clicking "Airport Options".
Finally, check the box next to "Internet Sharing" on the left hand side.
At the prompt, click Start.

You should now be able to connect to the internet on your iPad by selecting the network you set up on your iMac.
USB sharing is also now easy and fast: Can I share my iMac's internet to iPhone or iPad over USB?

Please do not use WEP. Please! Do! Not! Use! WEP!

@wjlafrance the only alternative is to use no encryption at all

Sorry, I could have sworn WPA was in that list. Looks like I've got a bug report to file. Thanks for the correction. :)

@wjl Is your first comment incorrect ?

@Simon When this answer was written, the only options were WEP or no security. Now the options are WPA2 or no security.

I thought this had changed at some point but couldn't remember when. Thanks @KyleCronin for verifying. To clarify my first comment, WEP is very insecure (broken within seconds) and for anyone actually interested in breaking in, is equivalent to having no encryption at all.

@KyleCronin Thanks for clarifying, just so I understand it WPA2 is the preference nowadays.

@wjl Thanks for your response, I think I understand now based on Kyle's response

You can also share connectivity with iOS by USB cable (if you can not use WiFi), but it is little hacky: https://apple.stackexchange.com/a/232937/98580


text:
Using an iPod charging cable to charge an iPad
I lost the original plug-in charger that came with my iPad.  I have tried using my iPod cable to charge my iPad (plugged into the USB port of my Windows laptop) but the iPad will not charge (or at least it charges extremely slowly).  I also have tried using another USB plug adapter with the iPod cable (plugged into a wall outlet) and it also does not charge.  What is going on here and how can I charge my iPad now that I have lost the original cable and outlet adapter that it came with?

The iPad uses a 10W charger.  The iPhone has a 5W charger.  Most older computers only support the original USB spec of 2.5W USB port power support.  Your iPad, when on, uses more than 2.5W, so it will not charge unless it's turned off, and when off it will charge at less than 1/4 the speed of the normal iPad charger.  That can be up to 16 hours for a fully depleted iPad.
Newer Apple computers, and computers that support USB3.0, support higher USB power standards, but if your computer doesn't then you'll need to invest in a new charger for your iPad.
Note that the iPad will generally charge off other USB chargers from other manufacturers, but only at a slower rate than the original iPad charger, unless the charger you use is specified to charge the iPad.  When the original iPad came out 10W USB chargers were not common.

Because the iPad battery is so large, the iPad uses a more powerful charger to recharge its battery. The iPhone charger is 1 amp; the iPad charger is 2 amps. To get the extra juice, you need either a modern Apple computer (last 2 years) or an iPad specific USB charger.

The thing that confuses me though is why any PC that supports USB2.x standards cannot charge the iPad. Power specs for USB ports are universal and standards are set by IEEE.

Standards Change and USB is positively ancient at this point they added a Battery Charging standard into USB - I don't know if the apple chargers meet the Battery Charging rules as they also specify reduced data rates - which might go someway to explaining the hideously slow sync times i see - or not. Apple started using higher power sockets  with the origina macbook Air's Superdrive which used a higher voltage USB socket.

Looks like this is a known issue. I didn't find any news of Apple attempting to resolve the issue though. Might need to pickup a wall charger or something. I would also call Apple and bug them about this.

Ah... the included power adapter is a 10W USB power adapter (10W is more than most others).  http://support.apple.com/kb/HT4060

I'm using the USB cord from my old iPod classic on my Windows PC, and my iPad charges just fine. Although I've never tested how fast it charges, I will often plug it in before bed and wake up to a fully charged iPad.
I have noticed that when the iPad is plugged in and it is not hibernating I get a "Not Charging" message on the screen. Once the iPad is asleep it charges.


text:
Is it possible to synchonize my iPod with iTunes on one computer and drag-drop ad-hoc files on another?
I have iTunes installed on both my work and home computer. At home I want to keep it synchronized with my extensive library of music ripped from CDs, but for large files like videos and podcasts I like to download them at work where I have better bandwidth.
I'd like to be able to keep just my music files synchronized with the iPod from my home computer, but still be able to drag-drop a few ad-hoc podcasts/videos downloaded on my work computer onto the device (iPod touch). No synchronization with iTunes on my work computer is desired/required.
It seems like this would be a simple operation, but all of my attempts have resulted in wiping out large portions of the content from the device.
Any advice on how to make this work, or whether it is even possible?

I know it was possible with older iPods, not sure about touches though. If you have it jailbroken, you can SSH into the device and store your files that way. You have to have WiFi access in both locations though. That's the simplest way I can think of, sadly lol.
Here's how to jailbreak. And here's how to SSH. Other SSH info.
Hope this helps!
-Thomas

Hi you need Sharepod - http://getsharepod.com
Download and install it on your work machine. When you want to drag and drop files, connect your iPod, close iTunes and start sharepod.
Do remember that if you sync your iPod with your home machine, then all your "extra" files from your office will go away. One solution is to configure your iTunes at home to sync only music and not videos.


text:
Is there a way to downgrade a 2nd gen iPod touch from iOS 4 back to 3.1.3?
Is there a way to downgrade an iPod touch (2nd gen) from iOS 4 back to 3.1.3?

There are two ways.
The first way was if you backed up your SHSH blobs with Cydia. (you would know if you did this) During a software update, iTunes verifies the software with an Apple server to make sure it's a valid, Apple-approved release. With major upgrades now 3.x, 4.x, Apple has stopped signing older versions, so if you try to restore normally to an older SW version, the verification process will fail.
The tutorial above will register your specific device on Cydia's server, then force iTunes to verify there instead of Apple's servers. Unfortunately, if you didn't back up before you upgraded, this will not work.
The other option requires some terminal work and downloading iRecovery, but it's not so bad. Here's a tutorial for it.

Your bold print is wrong. SHSH blobs only apply for reinstalling v4.0 up on a second gen iPod Touch.

Hmmm...I couldn't find anywhere online stating that. Everywhere I read says that for all models, you must back up your SHSH blobs in order to downgrade. Why is the 2nd Gen iPod different? And can you point me to a source please?

SHSH blobs were first introduced with the iPhone 3GS/Touch 3G. Older models don't have a hardware SHSH check. In iOS 4.0, Apple put in a software check for the Touch 2G and iPhone 3G, but this only affects installing the 4.0 firmware. http://blog.iphone-dev.org/post/833937433/blob-banter

On a second gen iPod Touch, just download the firmware (or find it if it is still on your system, but iTunes has a habit of deleting it), put your device into DFU mode, and shift-click restore on iTunes. A guide for DFU mode is available at iClarified
Warning: You will lose all your data.

But once I tried tried to downgrade from iOS 4 to iOS 3.1.3 iTunes showed error 3194 and 10XX. I tried it more than 30 times with different versions of iTunes. Read a lot of guides, but none of them worked.

@Bakhtiyor: Are you certain you are using a second generation ipod touch? Otherwise you need a SHSH blob.

I am 100% sure that I have iPod Touch 2G, because I have been using it during 1.5 years.

Use Whited00r. It's super easy:

gives you iOS 3.1.3
certain elements are skinned ala iOS 6
it's fast/quick
no SHSH blob requirements or any of that
download the zip containing an IPSW
option-click on Restore iPod in iTunes, select downloaded file
enjoy
tweak to get rid of additional items


text:
How do I add a song to a playlist on an iPod Device (running iOS4)?
It seems like this should be simple, but I can't seem to find the right place to click.
I see how I can go into edit mode for a playlist and remove songs. I just can't figure out how to add songs to a playlist on the device. Ideally I'd like to be able to do it from the now-playing screen somehow, but any solution is acceptable as long as it doesn't involve connecting to my computer and using iTunes to do the add.

On the device, in the tab bar, select Playlists, then select the playlist you want to edit. Press the Edit button, then in the top right corner is a plus sign. Tap the plus sign to add tracks to a playlist on your iOS4 device.

Thanks. I knew it was something obvious. I just didn't see that button. Thanks. BTW: Do you know a way to add the current song to a playlist while you are playing it?

I'm not sure if there's a way to do that. . . which is actually why I love(d) my Zune so much (RIP) lol

Can you please scale that screenshot down? It's huge

You didn't have to remove it completely - all you had to do to scale it 50% was to do <img src="http://www.freeimagehosting.net/uploads/f363bc33a4.png" height="480">

lol yeah my bad. i took the long route. i just removed the huge one and scaled the image itself down. still don't get the hang of adding pics on here yet

I recently figured out how to do this...it seems like there should be a less-complicated way.  Old iPods used to have On-The-Go, which could be created by long-pressing on songs.  Too bad that doesn't work anymore.


text:
mid 2009 iPod Touch not downloading from the app store
Ever since iOS4.0 came out (even before I installed it) my iPod Touch no longer downloads apps from the appstore.  The appstore itself loads (slowly) but when I try to buy something, it just takes unbelievably long and then doesn't even ask me for my password 9/10 times.  I haven't tried buying a paid app because I don't want to pay for something that I don't get.
I can still buy apps from my laptop, but it's a pain.
I'm currently in Australia, but I still use the US appstore (since that's where I live).
Any ideas what it might be?

(Retagged as per http://meta.gadgets.stackexchange.com/questions/29)

Contact Apple to ask about this behavior. Apple devices are relatively difficult to break, and it could be caused by the distance between your device and its home country (and servers).

The distance argument doesn't work because the app store problems started the day iOS4 was released, but I've been in Australia for the past 2 months.  But I guess I will have to contact them.  Thanks


text:
How can I increase battery life with iOS 4?
Since I upgraded to iOS 4 on my iPod touch second generation my battery life is draining very fast.  Is there anything I can do to help with that?

Restart the iPhone (press and hold Home and the top button simultaneously till you see the slider to turn it off, and then slide the slider. Once off, press and hold the top button to turn it back on)
Turn off Bluetooth (Settings > General > Bluetooth) if you're not using it.
Turn off the WiFi option "Ask to join networks" (Settings > WiFi) to keep the WiFi radio from constantly scanning for new networks when you're not connected. It will still remember and auto-connect to networks that you've connected to before, but you'll have to manually connect to any new networks.
Turn "auto-brightness" off (Settings > Brightness) and set the brightness level lower. I would only do this as a last resort if nothing else seems to work.
Let the battery run all the way down to zero (i.e. let the phone run till it won't turn on anymore), and then recharge it all the way to full.

Mostly good advice, except for the last point. Li-ion batteries don't tend to appreciate being completely drained too often, but it can be a good idea to do it occasionally (every few months or so) to recalibrate the battery meter. See this answer for more info.

In addition to @kingbee's good suggestions, you can also shut off locations so the iPhone isn't constantly updating its GPS info.
In Spotlight Search, you have 10 settings to choose from that spotlight will index on your phone.  The fewer you choose, the better. Just choose the key information types you want to index for searching and uncheck the rest.
In addition to turning off "ask to join any networks", I turn wifi off completely choosing to launch it only when I want to use it.  If you leave it on, it will automatically scan for new networks which consumes more battery resources.


text:
Charger that lets you use an iPod Touch while charging?
Are there any chargers that let you use an iPod Touch while it's being charged?
I have a simple wall charger, but it disables the iPod's audio while it's plugged in.  I can plug the iPod into a laptop, but that seems a bit inconvenient and inefficient.  I even tried using a clock with a built-in iPod dock, but the clock always tries to start playing iPod music whenever the iPod is plugged in and also tries to disable the iPod's built-in speakers.

I have an Apple USB Power Adapter that came with my iPhone and in no way does it prevent me from using any feature of my device while charging. I can play audio out of the built-in speaker as well as through the headphone jack without issue. I'm not sure what wall charger you have, but if it's the Apple USB Power Adapter you should try to return it or exchange it as yours is likely defective.

I bought a generic USB wall charger on eBay for use as a spare, it was $4 delivered and works perfectly with my iPhone.


text:
After market car stereos with iOS 4/iPod Out support?
I have an iPod Touch that was upgraded to iOS 4.  I am sick of my FM transmitter, and am looking for an after-market car receiver for my 1998 Honda Civic with iPod support, but am concerned because of discussions like  Topic : iOS 4 - Iphone 3GS - Alpine X303 - Not supported anymore.
Articles like iPhone OS 4.0 paving way for Apple-branded car kit? and the comments section of Instant Expert: Secrets & Features of iOS 4 mention a feature called iPod Out.  Also, iOS 4′s hidden “iPod Out” feature brings iPhone support to your car without the messy third party UI talks about how BMW is announcing support.
Does anybody know of third party units (Alpine, Kenwood, JVC, etc) that have specific support for iPod Out?
I mainly listen to podcasts and audio books (and not music) on my commute.  One of the key features I want is the ability to use pause/resume controls on the receiver when I get a phone call.  Doing a "slide to unlock", then finding the pause button while driving isn't very safe, so I end up missing content.

iPod Out, indeed, looks very cool ...
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wbco58GnS9c
... but is there any reason that a simple line-out cable wouldn't work, at least until more companies hop on the iPod Out bandwagon? There appears to be a whole lot of nothing out there right now.
At the very least it's way better than the FM transmitters, which really suck.

I updated my question to address the line-out suggestion


text:
What are some interesting uses for an iPod touch 1G with broken wifi?
I have a 1st generation iPod touch in which wifi does not seem to work. Fixing it would cost too much and I don't want to just throw it away. It is jailbroken at the moment, but this does not help as it seems you can only install apps from cydia or rock store when connected via wifi. You can install apps from Apple's App store when you are connected to iTunes on your computer, but I would like this ipod to be more than just an "app runner".
I am a programmer so what I have in mind is trying to write some software that could run on this iphone and possibly convert it into a completely different device. I know this is very vague but maybe together we will manage to come up with some interesting ideas...
EDIT: Let's concentrate on the "what cool things can be done with this ipod" instead of "how to fix the wifi". That is what my inner nerd asked me to write :)

Pardon me if this sounds silly, but have you tried restoring? If not, maybe that will fix the WiFi...hopefully lol.

I tried a couple of times. No candy...

@silvo I thought the phrase was "No dice", but I like your version better. :D

Maybe Linux on the iPhone, or since your question asked for "interesting" and not for "useful", Windows 95 on iPhone:

Give a guy an iPhone, a jailbreak, and
  an open-source, cross-platform x86
  emulator, and it's just a matter of
  time before hilarity ensues.

Windows 95 on the iPhone, ace.

I remember seeing a remote control ir attachment somewhere for sale.  You could use it as a fancy remote.

Those, unfortunately, require WiFi to operate - the 1st-gen touch didn't have Bluetooth.

I would dock it to a Sony or Bose ipod-dock-alarm-clock, leaving it permanently on my bedside table as my alarm-clock-ipod.
For extra coolness points, you should turn it into a robot.  See the people making "cell phone robots?".   Yours would have to be untethered since you have no wifi or other connectivity.

I think it's a pretty decent gaming device. There are a lot of non-networking-dependent games that you can use.


text:
Some apps do not display on iPod
I have installed 150 apps on my iPod Touch, but I have found that some apps do not display. Is there any limitation on the number of apps that can be displayed?

hi user606, I removed the your greeting because the first line of the question is displayed in the summary on the home page. I've also rephrased it slightly to hopefully clarify the meaning.

If you do not have iOS 4.0 or don't use folders, or if you are using an older version and do not have the jailbreak app Categories, the maximum amount of pages of apps it will display is 9 pages. 9 * 16 = 144 apps. You can still find the other apps in the search option, on the leftmost page, if you use iPhone OS 3.0 or newer.


text:
Can the iPod touch work without a battery?
If you were to remove the battery from an iPod touch, and then connect it to a computer, would you still be able to play music on it?

Let me guess. You have a dead battery on your iPod and want to de-brickify it without replacing the battery?

@awakeFromNib I've tried to clarify the question to make it less generic. It would probably be helpful if you could update your question to explain why you want to do this. Is @JohnFx's guess right?

Probably not - In general, iPod & iPhone devices won't be usable when connected to a computer because they are trying to sync with the computer.
Instead, try getting an external speaker dock of some sort and drop the iPod into that. It's designed to power the iPod while playing.
I'm certain that this will work in the case of a dead battery. In the case of the battery actually being removed, there's a small chance that the iPod's on-board electronics will not work correctly, even if externally powered. This isn't likely, but it's possible that without a battery, the charging circuit will cause something else to go wrong. Again, not likely, but not impossible.
If you have a device with a dead battery, and you don't want to replace the battery, just leave it in there, drop it in a dock and play on.

+1 I do exactly this with an old iPod nano. Its battery life is measured in minutes, but its been sat happily in a dock pumping out noise for months without issue.

Yea, I have an old 3rd iPod more or less permanently attached to my car fro the same reason.


text:
Connection issues with iPod touch
I have one year old iPod Touch. All of a sudden YouTube is not working. I have wireless network at home.
It says "Cannot connect to YouTube". I'm also facing this issue when I connect to Gmail. it says - "Cannot connect to imap...". but still I can see my mail.
I guess it shouldn't be issues with wireless or n/w connectivity because Safari browsing is working fine.

@HanuAthena I tried to change the title to better reflect the nature of the issue (I'm not sure I have though...). It is generally a good idea to be fairly specific with the title.

I had a similar issue for a few weeks.  I found that the problem was with my firewall.  Even though I had told the firewall to allow all traffic to and from my ipod, it still didn't work because the firewall slowed down the internet tremendously.

I always suggest Resetting Network Settings first for connectivity issues. Settings >> General >> Reset >> Reset Network Settings. Then connect to your network again. If that doesn't work, post back here.

My first suggestion on any problem with technical devices is to shut down properly and restart the device. To shut down, hold down the sleep/wake button for a few seconds until the iPod asks you if you want to shut down.


text:
Does the iPod touch have a GPS?
Does the iPod touch have a GPS? If not how, does it know where it is and how dependable is it?

The iPod touch does not have a GPS. Finding your iPod Touch through MobileMe requires that your iPod Touch has Wi-Fi turned on and connected. It uses Wi-Fi triangulation to find it.
It is not as accurate as a GPS, but if your iPod touch is around many Wi-Fi access points accuracy will go up.


text:
Unscrupulous apps on iTunes -- bank account hacked by iTunes merchant?
I recently had $500 stolen from my bank account via the iTunes store. I am not certain whether the charges are directly from Apple or via some other company whose iPhone app has somehow circumvented whatever security is on the system.
The specifics are that I had 3 phantom charges amounting to just under $500 on my credit card, but there were no charges on my itunes statement!
Apple of course will not even look at the case. It is the job of 'local law enforcement and credit card companies to assure that your account has not been compromised'.
I am looking for somewhere that has compiles/maintains a list of unscrupulous/hacked/hacking iphone apps so that I can compare the applications that are on my phone with untrustworthy ones.  Also, if anyone has advice with respect to cutting through the bureaucracy and receiving real support from Apple, that would be appreciated.
NOTE: Manually migrated from Super User

Have you checked your iTunes purchase history to see if the charges on your credit card are associated with your account or if someone just stole your credit card number?

Well, it seems that maybe someone stole my credit card number and used it to charge iTunes, which would be a very strange thing for them to do, imho, unless they stole my credit card number from iTunes in the first place

@Mechko: Why would that be a strange thing for them to do? Thieves don't want music?

well they wouldn't want 40 copies of the same 160 songs/apps on 40 different accounts.  But if they managed to actually STEAL my credit card details through iTunes, I would imagine that they would siphon the money elsehow so as not to draw attention to their potentially profitable exploit.

Forget about working with Apple. Just tell your credit card company.

On it.  Except I'm overseas.... :(

that shouldn't stop you. most credit card companies have toll numbers that they let you call collect, or local numbers in many countries that are free or cheap to call. or log in to the web page of your credit card and dispute it from there.


text:
iPhone 4 as webcam for Mac
I'm searching for an app and software to to let me use my iPhone 4 as a webcam for MSN and others. My phone is 4.0.1 and jailbroken. I'm using Mac OS X 10.6.4.

Here's a link to iWebCamera for Mac. Let me know how that works!


text:
Offline iPhone app to recognize Japanese words
I am looking for an offline iPhone app to recognize Japanese words:

I take a picture of a kanji or Japanese word or short piece of Japanese text
The app recognizes the kanji and converts it to text that I can copy and paste where I like (for instance in a dictionary)

Note: Several such application rely on the weocr web service. But I am looking for an offline app, that can be used without connecting to the Internet (for instance in the subway). Sharp phones are very good at OCR, and they don't need to access the internet to recognize kanjis.

If it doesn't need to be OCR from a photo, you can turn on the Chinese handwriting (traditional) 'keyboard', and draw it with your finger.  This works for characters that are the same in hanzi and kanji (which is most but not all).  Then you have text you can look up in any offline dictionary, e.g., Kotoba.

I don't think any currently exist, but developers could look into using this:
NHocr

nhocr is not very good but unfortunately yes, it seems to be the best open source Japanese OCR library so far: http://stackoverflow.com/questions/2557743

I think http://code.google.com/p/tesseract-ocr can also support Japanese.

Just came across this app right now while searching for the exact same thing you are.
Haven't checked it out yet, so it might be a load of crap...
But you should check it out anyway.
Japan Goggles Translates Japanese Characters Quickly and Easily


text:
iPhone 3G GPS is unreliable; seems to use assisted-gps only
A few months ago the GPS in my 3G has become really unreliable.  The blue circle in google maps looks to be about 2 miles in diameter, and never shrinks to a pinpoint.  Apps like RunKeeper can never get a strong enough GPS signal.  This may have coincided with the iPhone not picking up wifi unless almost on top of the access point, but that could have been a coincidence.
Things I've tried that haven't worked:

Trying to lock on to a satillite when outside with clear skys for >30 minutes
General Settings -> Network -> Cellular Data -> Reset Settings
Restoring the iPhone from a back-up
Giving the phone a prelonged stern look

Any ideas greatly appreciated.

The prelonged stern look didn't work??? Lol
I see that you tried restoring from a backup. Try restoring to stock software instead of your saved backup and see how it works. I've noticed that sometimes erratic behavior is caused by corrupted files within the actual backup image.
If that doesn't work, try taking it in for service...I really don't think that's necessary though.
Hope this helps!

That would by definition remove all my apps and data, wouldn't it?  How could I restore them after the reset?

That's the down side - you'd have to do it manually. You could selectively add some stuff back in the iTunes options before you sync. Like you could only sync address book instead of all apps or something.

It sounds like the receiver chip is malfunctioning. If your 3G is still under warranty, return it to the store for service!
Something similar happened to my 3G: it would no longer find any Bluetooth devices, and no wifi networks even when I entered the network settings manually. I tried hard for weeks to make this work again, even restoring/upgrading etc. but in the end it turned out that the radio chip had died... After a long and phoneless week, I received a brand new replacement 3G from the store.

Bear in mind that A-GPS is by no means less precise than GPS. The A(ssisted) technology consists of the phone using the Radio (phone) network to query about the Satellites’ information, the GPS receiver only has to care for the “time” information from each satellite, instead of the full pack of information (which is usually lost in poor reception areas like cities anyway). So, A-GPS, by combining info coming from the Cell antenna about the Satellites, and squeezing what it can from the real GPSs messages, can pinpoint your more or less accurate location. In a perfect world, you’d have 6 or more satellites telling you all the information…
If you’re not getting a good location, then I suggest you do what has been suggested, try a fresh “install” (you can later try to restore) or take the phone for service, the GPS Receiver may be failing.
Apart from the cell radio to obtain the info, the iPhone also uses wi-fi (if available).


text:
iPhone/iPod Touch App Review Sites and Payola
Some of the iPhone/iPod Touch app review sites require developers to pay them to have a review posted. This raises obvious concerns about the independence and objectivity of the reviews.  (See this Wired article for more information.) Requiring payment for product reviews is not illegal, so the only way to turn back this trend is for consumers to ignore these sorts of reviews.
So, I would like to have a list of app review sites, along with a note as to whether they charge for reviews, or have any other conflicts of interest.  Vote up the ones that you find most useful.
If you are a developer who has been asked to pay a fee by one of these sites, please provide details.
I want to keep this list focused on apps for iPhone and iPod Touch.  If you want to list review sites for other devices, please create another question.

Good question. Maybe better for Stack Overflow though...I'm not sure.

The intended audience for this list is iPhone users, not developers.

As a developer I completely ignore those sites: from what I've seen they rarely have more than a handful of visitors and site quality tends to be quite poor. Based on the fact that a review on a well-respected site isn't likely to sell many copies, paying for reviews is insane. One app of mine got a 4.5 (out of 5) mice review on MacWorld -- not the hottest review site, but well-respected with a lot of traffic -- and I sold maybe 10 extra copies as a result. Definitely not worth paying for.

TheiPhoneAppReview.com and AppCraver.com are mentioned by the Wired article as sites that ask programmers to pay fees.


text:
How can I watch an AVI file on my iPhone?
I understand that the bundled apps for iPhone does not support AVI files. However, I have lots of these files which I want to watch on my iPhone.
Can you suggest a streamlined, automatic way of doing this? I have never watched videos on my iPhone or iTunes before and would appreciate step by step answers.

Use HandBrake to easily convert the AVI files to an iPhone compatible format then sync those converted files with your iPhone
Or, email/post them to Posterous, and they'll be auto-converted into a format watchable on your iPhone

Handbrake ftw..

Handbrake ftl.. doesn't work with MKV + embedded subs

I encode MKV all the time in Handbrake. . . but not with subs. Hmmm I didn't know that.

There are plenty of apps which will allow your iPhone to support .avi files...
For starters, there is the all-time favorite VLC (free) . You get the file-support and the friendly user interface like you're used to on your Mac.
Then there is AcePlayer ($2.99) which will even support more files, is extremely user friendly and this app is close to my favorite.
But my all time favorite app is CineX-Player ($1.99).
They tend to do some actions where you can get this app with a discount (or even free).
All of these apps are easily managed by iTunes File Sharing:

They all support a lot of files (including your requested .avi), subtitles and they all have a nice and clear interface. I can highly recommend CineX-Player, but VLC is great as well and it's free!

VLC is no longer available on the AppStore

Checking it now, July 30, it's available in the AppStore @hellothere. (:

VLC was able to play my AVI's on iPad. Feb 28, 2016

Quicktime will do this too: File → Save as and then choose iPhone from the format list.

Brilliant, my QuickTime Player had the File > Export Option

There are a lot of apps that support this. The best I've found is yxplayer in the app store or yxflash from Cydia (same thing for free, but requires jailbreak) -- good compatability, fast with non-HD content, etc. You can move the files over using either iTunes or any program that let's you access the filesystem like iPhoneBrowser, then watch them without the need for any conversions.
Conversion is not a good option:

Slow (often about 2/3 the length of the video, so you need to plan ahead)
Lossy (you will lose quality)
Larger files (usually)
Generally a pain in the ass

If you must convert, HandBrake (like the accepted answer suggests) is good but doesn't support all formats - xvid4psp in my experience is slightly better.
If you want to convert MKV files with embedded ASS/SSA subtitles (having spent >5 hours looking for a program that will work for this), version 4 of xvid4psp (doesn't work on Win7 x64) is the only program that will do this. v5/v6 of xvid4psp, HandBrake, etc, etc. will not work.

How can I import incompatible video files into iTunes anf then move them to my iPhone? Everytime I try to drop an avi file into iTunes, I get the "forbidden" mouse cursor.

@Martin - Once you get yxplayer, go to iTunes, go to your iphone/ipad on the left tree, and choose the "Apps" tab from the top. Scroll down a bit to "File Sharing" (that says "Documents" right under it), and click "yxplayer" from the list of apps. Then you can transfer documents from your computer (though you need to use another tool to transfer folders).  Yeah, it's not that discoverable a feature, but Apple doesn't like things that aren't Apple.

There is no "File Sharing" section in the Apps tab. Does the iPhone need to be jailbroken for that?

@Martin - No it doesn't need to be jailbroken. A picture says 1000 words; I made a guide: http://nv3wrg.blu.livefilestore.com/y1pYB8jO58xlRA2GUJBVxkQGGn3XavcPplPGKMemWQn7Bk6bxAYNYcaX5dR9wLxDJFH47adWdmO7Z2_rAprAcHQfFlpafL4dwsz/itunes_ui_sucks.png?psid=1

Thank you very much, Robert (+1 for the tutorial). In now know, why I don't see the file sharing section. At the time I asked before, the app was not yet installed, but only downloadad. And when I tried to install it, I had to face the fact that it cannot be installed on my iPod touch. Shame on me. The iPhone is ordered, and I will definitely try this app.

"vlc for iphone" is another option which is available through cydia.

Buzzplayer from the App Store plays AVI files and even embeds srt subtitles.

Can you provide a link to the app you mention in your answer?

I'm a big fan of flex:player for iPad, iPhone (3GS and above), and iPod touch (3rd gen. and above).
flex:player will play the AVI file without conversion. You simply have to transfer the file.

To transfer the AVI file, you can use iTunes file sharing.

Bear in mind that, depending on your device, you might experience stuttering if the video is HD. The iPhone 4 and above should be able to handle 720p content just fine, though.

I suggest  VLC for iOS. AVI is a "container" for many different video formats (codecs). VLC could be a good viewer for many of the different video formats that AVI supports. When starting the VLC for the first time it has a good wizard that tells you what to do step by step.
This is a brief step by step way of doing it:

Download VLC for iOS in Appstore on your iPhone
Connect your phone to your computer
Open iTunes on your computer
Select the iPhone icon
Select Apps Scroll down to File Sharing
Select VLC
In VLC Documents click Add... and upload your AVI file
Open VLC on your iPhone
Select All Files
Click your AVI file


text:
Why can't my jailbroken iPhone connect to a wifi network?
I have an iPhone 3G 16GB with iOS 4.0.2 and my wifi is not working, I tried to fix it with reset network settings and other quick fixes like that but it still doesn't work. Sometimes it sees wifi networks but I can't connect. I don't think is a hardware problem because I can see the wifi MAC address on the device.
Version: 4.0.2 (8A400) (jailbreak with redsnow)
Modem Firmware: 05.13.04
PS: On 3.1.2 the same thing. (jailbreak with blackrain)
Downgraded at 3.1.2, again...still nothing (jailbreak with redsnow)

Have you ever been able to connect to a WLAN at all? Or did you never succeed?

And what are the specs on the WiFi network you want to connect to? (i.e security)

Yes, I`ve been able to connect before but now it can't find any network (not from home or office, sometimes it does but it says something like "unable to connect") I had 3.1.2 before, 2 hours ago 4.0.2 now I have 3.1.2 again jailbreak with redsnow same thing. I can see the wifi mac address so I guess is not a hardware problem (once again sometimes sees the networks but it can't connect)
@Thomas is not the security, I disabled it nothing, with WPA nothing, router reset, iphone network reset still nothing...

Was the iPhone already jailbroken when you successfully connected to your router?

Yes it was, with blackrain and after 5 days or so, dead.

So currently, you're on 3.1.2, correct? When you downgraded, did you use a stock firmware, or did you just put the redsn0w image on there right away?

It may still be a hardware issue -- I had a similar problem last year. But since you say that your phone sometimes does see a wifi network, there's hope that the hardware is okay.
First, follow the comments posted here to make sure you're running a completely normal OS without any hacks or modifications.
Then, here's Apple's description of how to reset the network settings.
Lastly, if it still won't work, check my link above.

Resent wont work. I already did a network reset, then a full reset same thing...

It seems that many users of 3G experienced the same problem with WIFI when uphgraded to iOS 4
Perhaps some of the solutions listed here would help. In you case you are probably left with the the last option

Restore, but not from a backup. One less-than-ideal fix for this issue
  involves restoring the iPhone as a new
  device rather than from a backup. It
  appears that bad holdover data from
  iPhone backups can cause loss of data
  access. Restoring as a new phone will
  delete contacts and other data, but
  generally resolves this problem.
To do so, connect your iPhone or iPod
  touch to your computer, click
  “Restore” in iTunes, then choose
  “setup as new phone.”

I already did that, nothing. I downgraded from 4.0.2 to 3.1.2 same thing.

Try a stock (un-jailbroken) ipsw file from scratch. Use this procedure to downgrade properly.
I think that when you restore using your jailbroken image, you're just putting the problem back onto to the device. I've noticed that even after a brick, when I restore with redsn0w, it's not a clean install, as my previous applications and settings are still there. I think a fresh install of stock firmware may help. Jailbreak it only after you find out if original firmware works.

I restored with original (stock).

Hmm.....I'll keep researching and let you know if I find anything new

Yesterday when I tried again to see if it finds any network, it did (my home wifi) but guess what my internet did not work lol, but the device successfully connected 3 times, when I tried the 4th time it did not work anymore... This is some weird...

It seems there is something, something that you wont believe...
Here's the solution:
You need one ****ed up iphone, one refrigerator.
Take the iphone put it in the refrigerator (a/c) leave it for 5 minutes, and wow...it works. And I'm not making any jokes.
But there`s a problem, when the iphone get's some heat again...boom no wifi (again) So is a heating issue, if you guys know any permanent fixes to that let me know. (like making some small holes in the back of the device, i'm kidding now).

LOL! Man, take it to the Apple Store

It worked, I mean it. We don't have something like that in Romania... Just resellers and they suck. It seems that the wireless chip is fried... The a/c "fix" works only till the device get's heat again. (I just wanted to test the heat possibility and I was right.)

What worked for me is going to settings / General / reset / reset all settings
Good luck, mine jumped back to what it was like about a month ago then it worked fine from there!


text:
Network problems after Jailbreakme on iPhone
I recently jailbroke my iPhone 3gs with jailbreakme.
At the beginning everything was working well. But since yesterday I am having problems with the network. It would disconnect from wifi and there is no way that I can reconnect until I reboot my phone. It happened twice so far, but I am not able to reproduce the problem as it doesn't happen all the time.
Anyone here has any hint on what I should check?

Edit: I found out that this problem occurs if it changes wifi network.
Edit: Resetting the network settings was the right solution for me.
Does anyone know if this is a common problem? ( I was not able to find anything with google )

That happened to me too, and now my wifi doesn't work anymore so you should expect that. (not much an answer just a comment)
3 possible fixes you can try: (they did not work for me)
1) Reset network settings: Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset Network Settings.
3) When connected to your network click more info (the little > icon) and check if DHCP is enabled.
2) The last thing Restore your device from Itunes or reset the device from Settings -> General -> Reset -> Reset All Settings.

Thanks for your reply. I started to notice that it happened to
me when I change wifi network.
Is it the case also for you?

@Vlad answers are expected to help resolve the question. If you get 50 reputation you'll be able to comment directly. If you have any other Stack Exchange accounts with 200+ reputation you'll get 100 on this site for associating them. I'm going to delete this answer. If you have a solution to the problem feel free to edit your answer and flag it for moderator attention so it can be undeleted.

something strange happened on this website: I was only able to
see only half the comment and this is the reason why I replied that way.
Solution 1) worked so far. Hopefully the problem  will not appear again.

yes this is a really common problem too bad it wont work for me too :(

Have you tried resetting your network settings?
Here's how to do it:
Settings >> General >> Reset >> Reset Network Settings.
That usually solves network problems. If it doesn't work for you, please post back here and I'll try to help some more.

yes, thanks... this solution worked for me
Do you know what exactly happen during network reset?

Cool. Glad it worked. It resets all network connections (WiFi, 3G/ EDGE, Bluetooth). Clears stored networks, passwords, etc, so when the phone reboots, all communications have to be renegotiated. I tried to find a decent article on support.apple.com, but this was all I could find:
"When you reset network settings, your list of previously used networks and VPN settings not installed by a configuration profile are removed. Wi-Fi is turned off and then back on, disconnecting you from any network you’re on. The Wi-Fi and “Ask to Join Networks” settings are left turned on." http://bit.ly/ckuMb8

Thanks again. I wonder why this tricks solves the problem that I had, since I tried to reboot but it was not enough.
Probably it is related with the permission of some special files.


text:
When does Safari on iPhone change the text size when the orientation changes?
I've noticed that when I am browsing a web page in Safari on the iPhone and change the orientation from portrait to landscape, sometimes the text size and/or wrapping changes.
For example, in portrait there may be 10 words on a line, but when I turn it sideways the text size changes and there are maybe 8 or 12 words on that line. Usually when I turn it back to portrait again it stays at that number instead of going back to 10.
I don't remember any specific examples off-hand but they were just regular sites (not mobile versions). Text appeared to be in a fixed column, it wasn't just wrapping to the entire window width.
Can anyone clarify in what ways this is changed or determined?
[also, I couldn't create 'safari' or 'zoom' tags]

Here's an estimation:
The site you're likely viewing has what is called a liquid-layout, which means that the content will spread to fill it's container.  So when you're rotating the phone, the viewport width is changing from the narrower portrait width to the much longer landscape width.  So the text itself might not be changing size, the webpage is just adapting to fit it's new window size.
Luckily the above link also has a liquid-layout, so you can see this in action.  Take the window on your computer and shrink it's width.  You'll notice that the text will shift around to fit it's new container size.  So it's the web page (more specifically the CSS) which determins how the text wraps.
tl:dr
CSS did it.

Thanks, actually it seems to happen more on the browser in Echofon (which is based on Safari) than it does in Safari itself. But you're right, it seems the font size is fixed but the content width isn't.


text:
iPhone back to OS3: What happens with application data?
I have upgraded my iPhone 3GS to iOS4, but now want to go back to OS 3.1.3 that it had before.
There are plenty of instructions on how to do this, but what happens with the data stored on the iPhone?
I don't mean the data that is usually synch'ed with iTunes. I have several apps that just store information I have entered, with no function to sync it or transfer it to a PC or similar. A simple example would be the saved scores of an installed game.
If I would have to re-install the iPhone, I could restore a backup which would include the data, but when going back to OS3, I cannot use a backup since it would restore iOS4 also.
Will the installed apps and their data still exist after re-installing OS3?
If not, is there any way to keep the data?

Restoring firmware and restoring settings are two different things. You can restore to a stock version of the 3.1.3 firmware then when iTunes asks you to set up your device, you can select which settings image you want to back up from.
Or select the iPhone under "Devices" in iTunes >> right [or CTRL] click it >> Restore from Backup. Should work.


text:
iPhone iOS4 Connectivity Profiles
Is there any way to set up and easily switch connection profiles in iOS4?
i.e:
Home - Wi-Fi on, Bluetooth off, 3G off
Work - Wi-Fi off, Bluetooth off, 3G off
Car - Wi-Fi off, Bluetooth on, 3G on
etc.
Would prefer an App Store app but would consider a jailbreak app if not available.

Are you jailbroken?

The other day i saw "Locale for Android". That's way cool, but sadly there is no way to get such a thing for the iPhone (at least non-jailbroken as mine is).

If your phone is jailbroken, SBSettings works really well for this. I don't think it supports profiles, but it gives quick access to toggles for all of the services you mentioned. Very helpful for the scenarios you described.

You will definitely have to jailbreak to acheive that kind of functionality.  Personally I gave @Thomas' reply a +1 because that is what I used to use.
Another option is Intelliborn's MyProfiles Beta - which is on sale for $7 via Rock
It may only support iOS 3.0.1 though.


text:
Facebook and Mint Badges seem to be ignoring iOS 4 Notifications Settings
I have Badges turned off for the Facebook and Mint applications on my iPhone 4 running 4.0.2 (Settings -> Notifications -> Facebook/Mint -> Badges: OFF ). I have Alerts and Sounds turned on.
Despite the fact that badges are turned off, my Facebook and Mint applications continue to show red numerical badges on their icons.
I'd like to turn these badges off. Why are they continuing to show?

Since changing your settings did you get any new badges? Perhaps they are old alerts that just haven't cleared.

The Notifications settings panel only controls what push notifications can do when the app is not running.  Background changing of the badge, essentially.  When you run the app, it is free to change its own badge and as far as I know there isn't a way to keep an app from doing that.

The application has to provide a way to turn off/on badges.  Some apps provide that through the notifications setting, some in their own app settings (under Settings), and some within the app itself and some not at all.  The Facebook app does not seem to abide by the Notifications settings, so that request would need to be made to them to update their app to allow us to turn off badges if we so choose.


text:
iOS 4 and Landscape Orientation Lock for iPhone
iOS 4 allows you to lock your iPhone in portrait mode by double clicking the Home button, swiping the dock left, and clicking on the lock icon.
However, it does not appear to allow you to lock the iPhone in landscape mode, which can be desirable for some applications.  Instead, the lock always seems to force portrait orientation.
How can I prevent my iPhone from rotating out of Landscape mode?

Orientation lock on iPhone with iOS 4 only does portrait lock at the moment. Hopefully they will have landscape lock on the next update.

This can be done using AssistiveTouch.
In settings, general, accessibility you can setup AssistiveTouch to be enabled/disabled whenever you triple click the home button. Enabling it gives you a global button with accessibility features, including screen rotation.
The process is:

go into the app you want to use in landscape (this won't work on the home screen, or any portrait only app).
lock the orientation to portrait
enable AssistiveTouch (triple click home button if you have that set up)
tap the AssistiveTouch button, then Device, Rotation, Left (or Right)
disable AssistiveTouch with another triple click

It will stay in landscape until you remove the orientation lock or use a portrait only app (including the home screen).


text:
Does the iPod Classic respond to the clicker buttons on the iPhone earbuds?
I was pleasantly surprised to discover that the iPad supports the clickers on the iPhone headphones (volume up/down, play/pause, etc). Does the most recent iPod Classic series respond to these buttons as well?

Yep. Check out this link on Apple's site. I'm actually surprised to learn so many devices support it now.

iPhone 4
iPhone 3GS
iPod touch (2nd generation)
iPod classic (120GB 160GB - 2009)
iPod nano (5th generation - video camera)
iPod nano (4th generation - video)
iPod shuffle (3rd generation)
iPad


text:
Can I listen to music from my iPhone with a Plantronics Discovery 665 Headset?
The headset supports the "Headset" and "Hands-Free" profiles.
I can make phone calls with it, but when I play music, it doesn't work.

No.  In order to do music, your Bluetooth headset must support A2DP Streaming Audio (it must support the A2DP profile).


text:
Recommendations for iPhone Bluetooth Headsets for Listening to Music?
I have a Motorola ROKR S9-HD headset and the Previous and Next buttons don't work with my iPhone 4.
I'm thinking about buying a different headset to replace it.  What options exist and which are the best?  Does the previous and next function work on any of them, or is this an iPhone problem?

I'm pretty happy with the Nokia BH-214 for my iPhone 3G. It's relatively cheap, and it turns any headset into a bluetooth headset.


text:
iPhone: Upgrading from 3.0 to 4.0.2
I have a quick question regarding upgrading to 3.0 to 4.02. To me this seems like common sense but I just want to double check before moving forward with the upgrade. Will he update wipe everything on my phone and then grab my backup in order to repopulate photos, contacts, sms, phone log, etc?

Yes, it will wipe out everything, install new OS and restore from backup (if you choose to do so). So, make sure you back up before upgrading.

And be careful if you have a jailbroken device; there won't be a jailbreak for 4.0.2 at all.


text:
How to show iPhone screen on projector?
I want to do some user training on the new iPhone they are getting and I would like to be able to display the screen up on a projector while I am talking, similar to a Steve Jobs keynote.
Is there a way to do this without jail breaking?
Specifically, I would like to do this on an iPhone 4.

You can download the iPhone Dev Tools and use the emulator, this is supposedly what Steve Jobs does his presentations with (I haven't corroborated that). Otherwise you will need to jailbreak and use one of the VNC apps.
I know it sounds like you do not want to jailbreak, but you could do it just for the presentation, then go back to stock IOS afterwords. No one would know you were jailbroken except for the savy.
[Update]
Forgot to add, follow this link for what to do once jailbroke:
http://www.mp3car.com/vbulletin/iphone-mobile-osx-meshing-connect-your-car-internet-cloud/128589-mirror-your-iphone-display-extneral-display.html#post1286663

You can use the Apple 30-pin to VGA adapter to show your iPhone's screen on the projector. It doesn't show the bezel like Steve's demo phone or the Simulator do, but it'll show what's on the screen.


text:
Transfer contacts and SMS from Samsung SGH-X830 to iPhone?
I need to transfer contacts and SMS history from a Samsung SGH-X830 to an iPhone 3G. Preferably, I would like to preserve date/time for SMS messages. How can I achieve this?

Contacts
Move to SIM card, move SIM to iPhone, move from SIM.
SMS
?

As far as I know, the SMS history is stored on the carriers servers, not your phone. So if you stay with the same carrier, you might be able to migrate them when you get the new phone.

AFAIK this is not the case in my region.

SMS
The iPhone SMS DB is sqlite3. If your iPhone is jailbroken, you can get and view the DB on the phone itself (install terminal) or on your desktop:
# get it local
scp iphone:/var/mobile/Library/SMS/sms.db ./
# dump to ASCII
sqlite3 sms.db .dump > sms.db.sql
# edit it
emacs sms.db.sql
# Re-db
cat sms.db.sql | sqlite3 sms2.db;
# Put it back on the iPhone
scp sms2.db  iphone:/var/mobile/Library/SMS/sms.db

I don't have an Android and cannot tell you how to get the SMS DB off of Android, but you ought to be able to do something similar. You'll need to reverse engineer the formats of the two, write a converter, and convert your Android SMS DB to your iPhone SMS DB.
Here are some instructions on how to migrate your SMS in the reverse direction: http://android.riteshsahu.com/tips/import-sms-iphone-android

I am looking for a (mostly) automated, more useful solution for someone with no knowledge of SQL databases. This might work, but it's manual, tedious, and error prone. Thanks for pointing out the possibility, though.

The solution can be automated and scripted, but it would required SQL knowledge. If you broke the steps down and posted each as a question on a *.stackexchange.com site I bet you could get it done for you...


text:
Is it possible to send/receive faxes directly on the iPhone?
Is it possible to send and receive faxes directly on the iPhone?
The goal is to try to avoid paying an additional 5 or 10 bux a month to use a 3rd party service.  I'm hoping the functionality can be either bought through an app or configured.

Can't you just use email instead? Same thing as fax, just without the need for analog.

@Webs there are some e.g financial/legal transactions that need a fax. Although if one end is email is it still valid ?

Looks like you're looking for the iFax app (Unfortunatlly I don't have a link here at work, but if you search for it in the store it should pop up), however I've got the next best thing!
http://www.macnn.com/articles/09/07/20/ifax.iphone.app.released/

Easy to use.  Take a picture and send.  http://www.boomfax.com

It is possible to send and receive faxes straight from your iPhone, Popfax- http://www.popfax.com has developed a fully featured mobile fax website, which turns mobile devices into miniature fax machines. It is easy, quick, and it works on the go.


text:
Is there an app or another way to make an iPod Touch or iPhone emulate an older iPod Device?
Specifically I am trying to play music from my iPod-Touch through my XBOX360, but I know there are other devices that only work with the old iPod interfaces and not the touch/iPhone.
I was wondering if anyone knew of an app, or some other method to make these devices emulate for the purposes of the USB connection more primitive iPods (Classic, Nano, Shuffle, etc.) so they can work with devices that only support the older interface.

I'm thinking the solution here would take some major development. The app would have to stop the driver for the current iPod from being installed and instead present a driver for the older device you want to emulate. Most likely your current device running the app would probably have to be jailbroke. It would also take some testing and playing around to make sure the driver worked with the current device.
Before going as far as creating an app or something you could try playing around with different drivers on your own system while having your current device connected. Just go into Device Manager, find your device, right click and update driver. Then try to manually add the driver of a shuffle or something. See what works. Then decide if it is worthwhile to pursue.


text:
Should I jailbreak my iPad?
I just got an iPad a couple of weeks ago. I had a co-worker pull out his iPad out and immediately start talking about jailbreaking it. I have no fear of doing it, but I do realize that sometimes going beyond what the manufacturer intended ends up making your device less stable.
What I'd like to get from you guys is your favorite pros and cons for jailbreaking an iPad specifically. Will I have upgrade issues when they ship iOS 4 for it? Will it crash? What are the killer features if I do go for it?

Pros:

ability to install apps not found in Apple's App Store
ability to customize the OS, UI, etc. to remove minor annoyances and trick out your iPad

Cons:

you will definitely be unable to upgrade to new versions of the OS without having to re-jailbreak
your iPad may be less stable
you can't bring your iPad in for warranty service without undoing the jailbreak
time & energy: researching and performing the jailbreak, finding/installing non-App Store apps, keeping abreast of the latest jailbreak status in the face of updates, etc.

I've gone both ways depending on my needs -- my iPhone is jailbroken, my iPad is not.

Wouldn't pirated and "unapproved" apps be considered the same thing?

Pirated = app-store apps for free. Unapproved = not in the app store

This answer sounds incredibly biased.  Being able to run pirated apps is not the #1 reason to jailbreak.  In fact, it never even occurs to most of the people I talk about jailbreaking with.  Also, do you have evidence that a jailbreak has bricked a device?

@Stuart Branham - Jailbreaking is modifying the OS, anytime you do something like that there is the possibility of bricking.  So even if there's no evidence of it bricking, the possibility still exists.

@Stuart Branham I'm not sure what you even mean by "biased"--I have no agenda and the OP's question is inherently subjective.  But everyone I know who's jailbroken their phone has at least one pirated app installed.  YMMV.  (And yes, I have personally bricked a 3GS through jailbreaking--it worked great for months, then when I wanted to sell it, I selected "erase all settings & data" and it's never successfully booted again, even into recovery mode.  Sucks to be me.)

I've removed the mention about pirating apps. It has no place here. I've also removed the assertion that you can "brick" you device. That's is indeed false. There is 0 chance of that as a software refresh can always return it to factory settings. Messing with even the firmware cannot cause hardware damage of any kind.

@user10355 I know this is an old comment, but it's worth pointing out that, at least from what I've heard, that's no longer true. Apparently if you break the sealed rootfs, it'll be bricked and not even DFU mode will fix it.

In addition to pinko's list, here are some specific apps.

Backgrounder allows a (now outdated) type of multitasking. It was ok on iPhone 3G, but with the iPad's more powerful processor, it may be more stable.

MyWi allows you to tether for free if you've got the 3G iPad ($9.99 for the app). But you said you did that with a rooted G1 already.

For me, it's cool to have access to the filesystem. Utilities like Mobile Terminal, OpenSSH, and iFile are of specific interest to me just for my own nerdish pleasures lol.

Hope this helps!

To add to this list:

Browser Changer removes the need to use Safari for anything
WinterBoard allows theming (though many skins aren't iPad-compatible)
SBSettings allows you to hide icons and ReNamer lets you rename them
snes4iphone, nes4iphone and gpSPhone are basically perfect emulators for SNES, NES, and GBA, respectively
psx4all plays many (but not all) PlayStation games perfectly (though it is unusable if you have WiFi off thanks to its crappy implementation of AdMob)
n64iphone doesn't work with many games yet (or is unaplayably slow), but it's nice to see the future of iPad emulation

The biggest con to me is that it is possible that one day you'll go to use your iPad and it won't work anymore. You would probably be able to fix it, but would it be worth the hassle?