iPad Tips and Tricks: Some Tricks of the iPad Trade Part 6 - reposted by Andre Di Cioccio

Today we will finish up this iPad tips and tricks series with five more suggestions to help you get the most out of your iPad. Up for discussion today are some tips for browsing the web on the iPad, listening to audio, adjusting brightness, and more.

Avoid squinting while surfing the web

The zoom features of the iPad while web browsing are just one more of the device’s positives. Zooming in on a section of a website makes it much easier to do things like click on a link, fill out forms, and more. You can zoom in on a part of a web page by flicking twice.

Keep your iPad covered

The last thing you want on your iPad is an unsightly scratch. Just one little ding on your display could ruin the enjoyment you get from watching movies on it or performing other tasks. Luckily, the iPad is built well to withstand scratches, but that does not mean that they are out of the question. To protect your iPad’s surface, you should get a good case to travel with, or a protective cover. Most of the cases made for the iPad have special interiors that are soft and will not cause scratching. Considering the significant investment you have made in just buying an iPad, buying an extra cover or case is a good precaution to take.

Find added brightness controls in iBooks

When you are reading a book, you want to have the right lighting in place to avoid eye strain. The same holds true for e-books. Obviously, the iPad has general settings that allow you to adjust its display’s brightness. Lowering the brightness not only helps to spare some battery life, but it also is easier on your eyes. If you want to lower the brightness even more than the lowest level offered by the general settings, you can do so within the iBooks app. The iBooks app has a brightness slider that is easy to use and will let you achieve that low brightness level needed when reading books on the iPad.

Go full-screen when watching your favorite videos on the web

Nobody likes to squint when watching videos. The iPad’s screen is nice and big, so why not get the most out of it? If you want to watch web videos in full-screen mode, all you have to do is do a flick gesture twice. To exit out of full-screen mode, flick twice again.

Get the most out of your listening experience with headphones

Listening to music is just one of the ways that the iPad can provide you with entertainment. You can listen to music without headphones, but do not expect any great sound from the iPad’s integrated speaker system. If you really want to enjoy your music, get some good headphones or earbuds. Once you plug them in, you will realize just how good audio can sound on the iPad.

That wraps up the Tricks of the iPad Trade series. Hopefully you picked up some new tricks to add to your list, and remember to check back in for more to come.

iPad FAQs: Is it worth getting an iPad or are they rubbish? Part Two - reposted by Andre Di Cioccio

Ha! I knew you couldn’t resist a feisty comment or two… So here I go again. There’s something enticing about entering the dark side of anti-Macness for a while (is that like ‘anti-matter’?) You know you shouldn’t go there, but the pull is irresistible. Like I said yesterday, I am actually a fan of the iPad, and I love mine to pieces. But sometimes you have to treat your loved ones to a few home truths!

Q. Uncle Steve Jobs, the current King of the World, says that the iPad is the ‘best internet browsing experience you can have’. Is it?
A. His Majestic Highness King Steve is having a laugh isn’t he? Touch the screen and the browser follows the link, or zoom in and out of your favorite website pictures. This isn’t the best internet browsing experience you can have! What King Steve should be bigging-up is the touch screen. After all, what Apple’s really done is replace an onboard mouse or external mouse with touch screen connectivity. It’s got nothing to do with ‘the best internet browsing experience’. Besides, how can you have the best surfing without FLASH?!

Q. Isn’t the virtual keyboard just fantastic?
A. No. Apart from its comedy value. If you fancy some free entertainment at someone else’s expense, take a trip to your local trendy bar or coffee house, and watch a young girl with long painted fingernails trying to write an email on her iPad. Hilarious.

Q. Why is it called the iPad anyway?
A. Either King Steve is having a not-so-subtle joke at our expense, or he really is very naive. Surely iTablet would have stopped all those predicable yet still quite amusing references to sanitary towels. Actually iAm getting a bit tired of all these ‘i’ named products. I know it’s all about iBrand iImaging, but iReckon it’s time for an iChange.

That’s it, I can’t stray into the dark side anymore, it’s so funny but it’s difficult to present various views that I don’t actually believe. Mind you, no-one can say that iPad.net doesn’t offer a fully rounded commentary…

iPad FAQs: Is it worth getting an iPad or are they rubbish? Part One - reposted by Andre Di Cioccio

Before you all go scrolling in anger down to the comments box below, just stay with me a second. I’m not going to dis’ the iPad. Well, not too much anyway. I thought I’d take the ‘other’ view for a change, maybe play devil’s advocate, and have a look at some reasons why, indeed, the iPad is just a load of old rubbish…

Q. Does size matter?
A. Erm, yes…. And for once, smaller is better. My iPhone is just so neat and cool and powerful, yet it slips away into my pocket or boy-bag when I don’t need it. Then you get the iPad. Let’s face it; you’re going to look a 1990’s rapper humping one of those things around. Brand loyalty and image? Yes. Less is more: ask Louis Vuitton.

Q. What about functionality?
A. I’ve already got more functionality than I can cope with. I’ve got my iPhone when I’m out and about, hooked up to receive emails or Facebook updates. When I’m at home there’s my Macbook waiting to be caressed. This may also sound offensive to some people, but sometimes, just sometimes, I don’t want to be reached. I want to turn the damn things off. So why would I buy yet another “locate and contact” device when all I want is to be left alone?

Q. But isn’t the iPad great for playing games.
A. Yes, it is. Some think that people who play games on their iPhone’s look like geeks who need to get a life. I’m not saying I do, just passing on the love. iPad boasts its largeISH HD touch screen, which is all very strokable. But again, there are better games platforms. Try your laptop, or better still, an XBOX 360 or PS3. Now THERE’S gaming for you!

Q. What about all those lovely apps?
A. I have to concede this point. Although some of the apps are mind-numbingly pointless, there are many that stand out from the crowd as brilliant. You do need to ask yourself: do I want to pay out $100’s on a tablet just so I can access some nifty pieces of software?

For all of you who aren’t yet foaming at the mouth in rabid rage, watch out for Part Two tomorrow. If you can stand it…

Dead girlfriend kept on couch for 10 months

A British man kept his dead girlfriend on a couch for 10 months, using air fresheners to hide the smell of her decomposing body.

Police found the corpse of Lynn Warman, 37, surrounded by dozens of air fresheners at her home in West Sussex, southern England late last year.

Gabriel Brown, 54, who lived with the dead woman, was arrested on suspicion of murder, The Metronewspaper reported.

But he was found dead in January while he was out on police bail.

Before he died he told police that Ms Warman had fallen on the night of February 9 2009, and he woke the next day to find her dead.

He said he was too grief-stricken to call the police and instead left her where he found her, the Horsham Magistrates’ Court coroner heard.

Investigators were unable to find a cause of death for Ms Warman due to the decomposition of the body.

There was no evidence of a violent struggle.

iPad competitor weighs just 180g

TAIWAN'S Green Book Inc has unveiled what it called the world's lightest electronic book reader, weighing just 180g, days after Apple launched its much-anticipated iPad.

The firm's updated version of "greenbook", the first Chinese-language e-book reader that came out in late 2009, was given its first showing at Computex Taipei, Asia's largest high-tech trade show.

"It is the world's lightest and is better designed to read e-books than iPad as it weighs less and can easily fit into a pocket," said Neo Wang, a vice president at Netronix Inc, Green Book's parent.

The iPad weighs about 680g.

Featuring a 15cm screen, the new "greenbook" can store up to 30,000 books with a maximum 32 GB memory and read 8000 pages with each full battery charge, according to the company.

It is primarily designed for Chinese-language books, but can also be used for other languages.

Mr Wang said Netronix's sales had not been affected by the launch of the iPad in April.

Taiwan last year announced it would invest 2.13 billion Taiwan dollars ($78.43 million) over five years in digital publishing in a bid to boost the 100 billion Taiwan dollars industry.

Woman who pulled plug on Gary Coleman was not his wife

GARY Coleman was divorced from his wife when she made the decision to turn off his life support.

Coleman, 42, and Shannon Price, 24, legally split on August 12, 2008, nearly two years before he suffered a brain haemorrhage that put him in a coma, according to court papers obtained by Entertainment Tonight.

"Initially, it concerned me, because it seemed like it (the hospitalisation) was a pretty short-term thing," Coleman's lawyer, Randy Kester, said, adding that the former child star's death "happened so quickly".

A statement from the Utah hospital where the Diff'rent Strokes star died last week said he had completed an advanced directive that granted Ms Price permission to make medical decisions for him.

"An advanced health-care directive remains in effect regardless of a patient's marital status, unless modified by the patient," the statement said.

Australian soldier may have had drug overdose while in Afghanistan

• Aussie soldier suspected of overdose
• "Illicit drugs may have been involved"
• Army to start an inquiry

A COMMANDO found unconscious from a suspected drug overdose in Afghanistan has prompted defence chiefs to order 300 elite soldiers undergo drug tests.

The commando, whose courageous actions helped save a mate in the war-torn country, was found unconscious in his room at the Australian base at Tarin Kowt last Friday.

He is now in a US military hospital in Germany in a serious condition with his family and girlfriend by his side.

A search of his room uncovered a bottle of pills and white powder thought to be an opiate. Both are being tested.

All 300 members of the Special Operations Task Group, including commandos, members of the Special Air Service Regiment and support units, are to undergo drug testing.

Defence head Air Chief Marshal Angus Houston announced a commission of inquiry into the incident today.

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It will examine the Australian Defence Force prohibited substance testing program and investigate the extent of the use of drugs by those in the field.

The commando and other members of his unit had attended a function the previous night after returning from the field.

"Because of the stresses of the operation they were on, the commanding officer authorised a small function where alcohol was consumed. That was the extent of it," Air Chief Marshal Houston told reporters in Canberra.

He said he had held no concerns about the use of narcotics by Australian soldiers up to now.

"We haven't had a single incident over the whole time we have been in Afghanistan," he said.

"But we have done targeted testing against other substances where we have suspected that there might be some use."

That related to the use of steroids, with disciplinary action taken against some soldiers.

Initial reports showed there was nothing untoward in the conduct of the soldier who had served with distinction during two deployments.

"His actions on one occasion certainly contributed to the saving of the life of one of his mates. We are talking about somebody who has performed superbly in operations," Air Chief Marshal Houston said.

Nothing unusual had emerged in various psychological tests conducted before and during his latest deployment.

Defence took a zero tolerance approach to the use of illicit drugs and conducted random drug testing of ADF personnel.What we need to look at is how it is being implemented on the ground in Tarin Kowt,'' Air Chief Marshal Houston said.

"He said there were a lot of drugs readily available in Afghanistan.

"There are a lot of narcotics grown there and they are manufactured there and this is a place where narcotics are more freely available than probably anywhere else in the world," he said.

A former commando officer, who served in Afghanistan, said he had never encountered the use of illicit drugs by special forces soldiers.

"I was in the navy years ago before I transferred to the army and there used to be a bit of drug use, marijuana. I got out of the navy in 1993 and I have never seen drug use in the military since," he said.

"I was really surprised to hear that, and especially for it to be a commando."

Australia Defence Association executive director Neil James said this appeared more likely to be an individual incident not indicative of a broader drug problem in defence.

He said Afghanistan was awash with drugs but there were actually limited opportunities to acquire drugs because of limited contacts with local people.

Mr James said defence random testing showed less than one per cent positive tests, compared with the community 18-30 age group rate of up to 40 per cent.

"If you are getting your quotient of excitement through your job, then you don't really need to get it chemically," he said.

Read more at The Australian.