How to Turn iPhone into an External Keyboard for iPad

Well we do know that an iPad can turn out to be an extremely multi-purpose device, but there are two uses that take on the rest of the uses head on – typing and web surfing! But more often than not, especially with the ones not used to of typing on a touch screen device, typing may become a hassle. In such a case, an external keyboard is desirable for your iPad. But if you already are a proud owner of an iPhone, along with the iPad, you do not need an external keyboard sort of accessory, ‘cause the combo of both these iDevices can do the magic! Special mentions to iPod touch here, which can also be used as an external keyboard for your iPad, instead of an iPhone.

So what’s the big deal? Do we need to jailbreak the iPad or iPhone/iPod touch first? The answer is no. All you need to do is download a simple app from the iTunes App Store on both the devices you wish to make a combo of, an iPad and an iPhone/iPod touch that is. Name of the app? External Keyboard – an app that actually makes use of the WiFi or Bluetooth as a connecting medium between the two iDevices and allows you to use all the languages offered on the iPhone/iPod touch that aren’t available on the iPad itself.

But then come the demerits. As mentioned earlier, the app needs to be running on both the devices you wish to make out a combo of. When you’re writing an email through this app, because of the reason that this app works as a web browser, you are only restricted to filling in the body of the email an don’t the rest of the smaller bits such as the To, From, Subject, etc fields, that still need to be filled using the original on-screen keyboard of iPad.

So yeah, that’s a bit of hassle and not everyone would be comfortable with such shortcomings. Nevertheless, the app is up for grabs, available for only $0.99. Not to forget, the app must be downloaded on both the devices you wish to use in pair. Here’s the iTunes App Store link to download the apps
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iPhone Air Mockup: Could this be the iPhone 5?

The iPhone and MacBook Air are perhaps two of Apple’s most bestselling products. So, why hasn’t Apple thought of a product that would offer the best of both worlds - the ultra slim, sleek design of MacBook Air and the gorgeous user interface of the iPhone? ‘iPhone Air’ would probably the most apt name for such a device. Though it is believed that Apple will begin shipping iPhone 5 in September, nobody knows what it would look like? Who knows the iPhone 5 might turn out to be modeled on the “iPhone Air” concept.


First things first, iPhone Air is purely a mockup concept created by Italian studio Ciccarese Design. These folks certainly let their imagination run wild and came up with mockups of the iPhone Air available in both black and white. In the past, several reports (such as the one from thisismynext.com) have indicated that the iPhone 5 would feature an edge-to-edge display as well as boasting a tapered, teardrop outer body design.


It’s widely believed that Apple will launch two totally distinct iPhones in September. One of them would be a low-cost variant modeled on the iPod Touch design. This device would be slimmer than the iPhone 4. Interestingly, the iPhone Air mockups demonstrate the same concept – a device thinner than the iPhone 4 and providing an edge-to-edge display. I, for one, am mighty impressed with the iPhone Air concept and I won’t be disappointed if the iPhone 5 is modeled along these lines.


In the past, Apple has done a terrific job of slimming down its products including the iPhone, iPad and Macbook. Therefore, a slimmer iPhone would be a norm rather than an exception in Apple’s future arsenal of products.


Of course, these are mere speculations and the iPhone 5 remains Apple’s best kept secret till date. The iPhone 4 leak saga brought a lot of bad press for the Cupertino giant, therefore it’s understandable that Apple is trying to keep the iPhone 5 under wraps.

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Everything You Need To Know About The New iOS 5

Notification Center – Apple has built a brand new notifications system for iOS 5 and this now displays all notifications at the top of the screen even during your games and on the lock screen. By sliding them down you will be able to view them. These notifications include missed calls, voice mail messages and app notifications.


Reminders – this new feature allows users to set different reminders for different times of the day. Using the geolocation support users can configure reminders to sent them a notification at certain times and in certain places.


Enhanced Safari – the iOS 5 browser now looks a lot more like the desktop version with a few extras of its own. Tabbed browsing is exactly the way it looks on Windows and Mac and the new Safari also has the Reader feature and users are able to bookmark content and send it to friends too.


Twitter Integration – the new iOS 5 has Twitter integration and this includes integration with the camera app.


New Mail Client – The iOS mail client has also been given an upgrade in iOS 5 and the app now supports draggable addresses and the ability to flag messages and search for them. You also have a dictionary lookup feature too.


iMessage – this is similar to iChat for iOS users and it allows you to send text messages, photos, videos and hold group conversations. This app also interacts with the notifications app.


Independence From Computers – In previous iOS versions users had to connect to a computer to set them up, update them or synch them. With iOS 5 this ends and users can upgrade their device over the air. There is also a new set up wizard for new devices so you can configure them without a desktop computer.


Lots more small additions – iOS 5 also includes a number of small improvements which includes direct game downloads in the Game Center, a new optional keyboard, Music App enhancements and an enhanced camera app.


If you are a developer and you have an iPhone 4 or 3GS, a 3rd or 4th generation iPod Touch or an iPad you can get iOS 5 from the Apple Developer Center for testing purposes.

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iPhone 5 To Have LED Indicator For Notifications

This sounds like a great idea and a flashing LED light would make is so much easier for users to see if anything needed their attention without having to touch their phones. iOS 5 was announced last month and this took notifications to a whole new level so this rumor is another great addition if it’s true.

The next generation iPhone which could be the iPhone 5 is due to be announced at Apple’s yearly music event and this will also include the new iPod and the final version of iOS 5. Many people are suggesting that Apple will focus on improving the next iPhone by increasing the camera size and adding a dual A5 process to give the phone a performance boost.

There are always rumors circulating when it comes to new Apple products and until the official unveiling we really can’t tell what the next generation iPhone will be like or the features it will have.
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iTunes 10.5 Beta 3 For Windows & Mac

iTunes 10.5 beta 3 is necessary if you wish to get your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch up to speed with iOS 5 beta 3 and iTunes 10.5 is the only way in which you can restore to the newest beta version of iOS 5.


In the previous beta versions of iTunes 10.5 and iOS 5 Wi-Fi sync was a feature that was enabled for all iOS devices and this allows users to synch their iDevices with their PC or Mac without having to attach any cables. The current beta version of iTunes 10.5 has fixed a number of bugs to make it more stable to run on both the PC and Mac.


As with the iOS 5 beta versions you have to be enrolled in Apple’s developer program to download the new iTunes 10.5 beta 3. The official release of iOS 5 and iTunes 10.5 will not be available to the public until the fall after both were announced in June at the WWDC. iOS 5 is a major release in terms of functionality and services especially when compared to the current iOS 4 version.
If you are a member of the Apple developers program you can download the new beta version of both iTunes and iOS 5 now and be some of the first people to get to see what these new releases really can do.

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Knockoff iPhone 5 Emerges In China

China is known for producing plenty of knockoff gadgets and the city of Shenzhen has now replicated the new iPhone 5. This may sound like great news to many but what you have to remember is that although they may produce a lot of fake gadgets, they come with terrible software so be warned.


According to many reports the iPhone 5 is due to be released later this year but it seems that Shenzhen couldn’t wait. According to GizChina.com the model that they have replicated does seem to follow the shape of the leaked iPhone 5 case designs and looks very similar to the leaked schematics which feature a curved design with the overall look being very similar to that of an iPhone 3GS.


The knockoff product does help people to visualize what the finished product will look like and according to rumors the new iPhone 5 will have a thinner profile, a larger screen and a larger home button. You can buy the knockoff iPhone with 64GB of memory and a java based OS for approximately $108.


If you want the real thing however we suggest that you wait until the official launch of Apple’s next generation iPhone which should be available in September or early October of this year.

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