Pontificnation

Just discovered a very cool iOS app that can simultaneously display cellular coverage for four major USA carriers at the same time.

It work's great on iPad, iPod Touch and iPhone and requires iOS 4.2 or higher.

Future versions are likely to include 4G coverage, and there may be a version for Android devices.

For more information, check out the developer's website at technomadia.com

(click image for larger view in new window)

iOS 4.2 Software Update is now available and brings all-new features to your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch. To upgrade your device, just connect it via USB cable to your computer which should trigger a check for updated software. Note: Apple's update servers are under heavy load as this post was being made, so be patient.

iOS 4.2 lets you do even more with the world’s most advanced mobile operating system.

Multitasking on iPad iOS 4.2 brings multitasking from iPhone and iPod touch to iPad. So you can be more productive as you work, have more fun as you play, or do a little of both. Everything happens smoothly and efficiently — without slowing down the performance of the foreground app or draining the battery unnecessarily.

Folders on iPad Now your iPad has more room for more apps. Move apps into folders with drag-and-drop simplicity to declutter your Home screens and keep your apps organized for fast access to your favorites.

AirPrint makes it simple to print email, photos, web pages, and documents right from your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch. A few taps is all it takes to go from viewing it onscreen to holding a printed copy. There’s no software to download, no drivers to install, and no cables to connect.

AirPlay lets you stream digital media wirelessly from your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch to your Apple TV and AirPlay-enabled speakers. So you can watch movies and photos on your widescreen TV and play music through the best speakers in the house.

Find My iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch — the MobileMe feature that helps you locate your missing device and protect its data — is now free on any iPhone 4, iPad, or fourth-generation iPod touch running iOS 4.2.3 Once you set it up, you can find your lost device on a map, display a message on its screen, remotely set a passcode lock, and initiate a remote wipe to delete your data. And if you eventually find your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, you can restore everything from your last backup.

For complete details on Apple's iOS, visit apple.com/ios

Many smartphones now come with the ability to turn into WiFi hotspots, allowing laptops, iPads and other internet consuming devices to access the web using smartphone's data connection. Smartphones like the iPhone that can't themselves become a hotspot, can still allow at least one computer to access the web via USB tethering.

The question I'm asked all the time is: Which is faster? dedicated data service, or data service through a cell phone?

PCWorld recently decided to do testing to determine just that, and their opinion is that dedicated data service comes out on top, as seen in the graphic above.

In general, I share the opinion that dedicated data service is faster than data via cell phone, but for many users the ability to turn hotspot or tethering 'feature' service on and off at will rather than be forced to pay $60/mo, makes cell-phone data service a viable option for infrequent users of mobile broadband.

PS: it was nice to see that the top speed achieved by all their testing was attained using a Cradlepoint router!