Princeton University IT, which keeps a close eye on their infrastructure, claims the iPad is not being a good network citizen:

The malfunction we see is that the iPad uses DHCP to obtain a lease, renews the lease zero or more times (as expected), but then continues using the IP address without renewing the lease further. The iPad allows the DHCP lease to expire, but it continues using the IP address after allowing the lease to expire. The incident continues for some time (typically hours); usually it ends when the iPad asks for a new DHCP lease, or the iPad disconnects from the network.

Princeton says they’re communicating with Apple to resolve the issue, but in the meantime they — and other large institutions — are keeping the misbehaving iPads off their network.

This won’t be an issue for a home user or anyone on a small network where IP conflicts are unlikely, but it’s something Apple will need to fix in the near future, especially for the education market for which the iPad is so well suited.

Have you noticed any iPad problems on your network? Let us know in the comments!

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

iPad not properly renewing DHCP lease, causing problems for Princeton IT is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

TiPb - The #1 iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch Blog

The are several ways to use the calendar on your iPhone, including syncing with other devices (including computers) and with the cloud (via a variety of services). You can also keep just one global calendar for everything, or separate ones for work, school, hobbies, family, training, etc.

• You can just use the calendar app right on the iPhone all by itself. It’s not the fastest when it comes to data entry, but if you really want to keep your agenda in your pocket you can just hit the plus (+) key, add an event, and keep on keeping on (time that is).
• You can sync your calendar(s) over from Outlook on Windows or iCal on the Mac using iTunes and the USB-Dock cable that came with your iPhone. This makes sure both your desktop/laptop and iPhone calendar stay roughly coordinated (not instantly, but updated whenever you tether up and sync). Even if you intend to leave the desktop for the mobile, syncing over at first is a great way to start.
• You can sync from cloud services like Google Calendar, Apple’s MobileMe, or a Microsoft Exchange server via ActiveSync. All three (if you’re using GoogleSync, at least) will “push” changes back and forth between your online and on-device calendars, and if your desktop is linked to the same account, you can keep all your calendars automatically and up-to-the-minute accurate. (Pro users might even set up links between MobileMe and Google Calendar or Exchange via desktop or third party tools for cross-cloud sync). -You can subscribe to online calendars shared by others via CalDAV, which is useful for keeping track of public holidays, your favorite sports teams, special projects, or other group events on small or grand scale.

In iPhone OS 4, developers will have access to the calendar so we’ll likely see movie ticket apps that automatically add the show time for you when you buy a ticket. Until then, let us know how you’re using your iPhone calendar. On device, synced from your desktop, and/or in the cloud? If in the cloud, what service do you use? Any tips or tricks you care to share?

How do you use the calendar on your iPhone? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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UNO HD for iPad [$4.99 - iTunes link] by Gameloft brings the classic card game to bigger, bolder life on that 9.7″ screen. At first blush, UNO more so than something like NOVA feels like it could have been a universal binary, sparing existing owners of the iPhone version from having to buy it twice. However, Gameloft wisely upped the ante based on the iPad’s-size, offering a 4 player option that makes it eminently more suitable as a true board-game replacement — you can realistically sit 2 or 4 people around an iPad and start up the multiplayer version of the game, share the screen, and get your UNO on.

You can of course also use single-player mode, or multiplayer between devices either locally or online. The graphics look prerequisite-ly great on the iPad, though we did find the controls a tad challenging (choosing and playing cards weren’t quite as buttery smooth as we’d like).

A side effect of the game being run on an iPad instead of with real cards is that it’s almost impossible to make mistakes or (gasp) cheat. The game only allows you to play cards you’re allowed to play, when you’re allowed to play them. Whether that’s a good or bad thing we’ll leave up to you and your consciences to sort out.

If you like UNO and you want to bring a little bit of real world social interaction back to your family and friends, grab an iPad, fire it up, pass it around, and let us know what you think.

Video of me taking on a challenger, after the break!

YouTube link

Quick Review: UNO HD for iPad is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Gizmodo got their hands on that lost iPhone G4 (iPhone HD/iPhone 4G/etc) prototype purportedly lost then found in a San Jose bar and reported on extensively yesterday. They’ve given it a thorough, geektonic once-over and here’s the take away:

• Front-facing camera, bigger back camera with flash
• MicroSIM (like iPad)
• Higher res screen (exact dimensions unknown but could be the rumored 960×640)
• Potential second mic for noise cancellation

• All metal power, mute, and volume buttons

• Flat form-factor that’s more squared-off with an aluminum outer border

• Shiny glass/plastic (ceramic?) back
• Slightly smaller and 3 grams beefier than iPhone 3GS
• Battery is 16% bigger, made possible by shrinking everything else

Giz claims they’ve been playing with the 4th gen iPhone for about a week (?!) and they think its the real deal. They have some videos up and tons more info as well so check out the link up top for more and let us know what you think. This looks like an honest-to-Jobs unfinished 4th gen iPhone — do you like it?

iPhone 4G (iPhone HD) gets previewed – looks like the real deal is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Looking for some tips on how to get quicker caps, more rapid numbers, and instant apostrophes (or single quotes) on your iPad? Well, Apple being Apple they built them right into the iPad keyboard — even as they left them for us to discover on our own. Many of these are the same as on the iPhone and iPod touch, one is all new and quite nifty. Here are a few of our favorite iPad typing tips:

• If you fast access to accented characters, for example [é], just tap and hold the base character you want and the accented variations will pop up for easy entry. This also works on specialized keyboards, for example you can press and hold [.com] to get [.net] [.org] etc.
• To get quicker caps, instead of tapping shift and then the letter, just touch shift and then drag you finger to the letter and release. The closer the letter is to the shift key, the faster it is.
• Rapid numbers work the same way. Just touch the number key [.?123], slide up to the number or punctuation/symbol character you want, and let go. It’s great if you just want a single number or character in between typing a lot of letters. (If you want to type a series of numbers you’re still better off tapping the number key, then typing your numbers, then tapping the letters key [ABC] to go back to the alphabet.
• At first glance it looks like Apple forgot the apostrophe/single quote ['] on the first level of the iPad keyboard. You don’t have to hit the number key to get it, however. Just touch the [!,] key and hold for a second, and the ['] magically appears above it. Tap for your apostrophe, or to combine these tips, just touch [!,] and swipe up and boom, instant apostrophe.

Try them out and let us know how the work for you, and if you have any iPad typing tips of your own to share, leave them in the comments and we’ll update!

YouTube link

iPad typing tips: how to get quick caps, rapid numbers, and instant apostrophes is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Following up on the crazy that was yesterday’s iPhone G4 (iPhone HD/iPhone 4G) hardware leaks, Daring Fireball looked into the glass-like backing of the device, and brings up an old Apple patent for fancy, futuristic ceramics:

Multiple sources familiar with the next iPhone have confirmed to me that the back is made out of some sort of fancy glass — and looks pretty much exactly like what's pictured at Engadget. [...] reader Antoine Hebert emailed with this 2006 Apple patent, for high-durability ceramic enclosures. Glass-like appearance and feel but far stronger and more scratch resistant. And: radio transparent.

We know the current, hi-tech plastic back on the iPhone 3GS (and iPhone 3G before it) is so durable it will not blend, so will glass-like ceramics be equally tough? Tough enough to survive a fall?

Meanwhile, 9to5Mac points us to a Korea Times where Samsung seems to confirm Apple will be using their own system-on-a-chip (SoC) for the 4th generation iPhone, like it does with the Apple A4 for the iPad.

If that chip is as blazing fast as we hope it will be, maybe ceramics is a better choice for the backing anyway. What do you think?

4th gen iPhone to have ceramic backing, Apple A4-like SoC? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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The Apple Online Store has revealed that new orders placed for the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G models will ship on May 7, while Apple has simultaneously begun emailing customers who pre-ordered to reassure them of their “late April” shipping date.

High demand for the iPad Wi-Fi has caused Apple to delay international release until “late May”. Follow-up emails, purportedly from Steve Jobs, confirmed current plans to ship iPad Wi-Fi + 3G internationally at the same time. Unclear wording in one of the emails made it appear US iPad Wi-Fi + 3G orders could also be delayed until “late May”, but this appears now not to be the case. (International pre-orders for all models begin May 10).

If you pre-ordered an iPad Wi-Fi + 3G from Apple, let us know when you get an actual shipping notification along with the date they’re being sent out. If you haven’t yet, does finally having a shipping date encourage you to do so?

[Thanks to everyone who sent this in!]

New iPad 3G orders shipping May 7, pre-orders still “late April” is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Best of Smartphone Experts, 18 April 2010 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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Our sibling site Android Central has just published a full review of the Verizon Droid Incredible — the latest Google superphone Android competition to the iPhone. (And yes, it does seem like they’re coming more than once a month now — we feel bad for Phil!).

It’s pretty much a gussied-up Nexus One with Sense UI, which you’d think would make it a Desire but it bumps a few specs (like an 8mp camera with dual LED flash) and a CDMA radio (which the Nexus One was supposed to do but hasn’t yet, and the iPhone keeps being rumored to do but hasn’t yet either).

All three devices are by HTC, who Apple is suing for patent infringement, and their ability to keep dropping high-end Android bombs like this is likely the reason why. Say what you want about software fragmentation, highly restricted app storage, and OLED screens you may or may not be able to see out in the daylight, the absolutely relentless improvements in UI and hardware both is very much in keeping with the robotic nature of the brand.

Apple of course is widely expected to counter this summer not only with the multitasking iPhone OS 4 (see our complete preview and feature walkthrough), but with 4th generation hardware leaps of its own — front facing camera, huge 960×640 display, and only Jobs knows what else.

Whether those iPhone on Verizon rumors finally pan out along with it, or in September, or only in 2011 we don’t know, but our advice to potential buyers remains the same as in our iPhone vs. Nexus One: which should you buy?. Check that post for details, but in broad strokes:

• If you have to get a new phone right now and you want AT&T, the 2009 iPhone 3GS (see our review) remains head of that class. If you want Verizon, however, the Incredible is certainly a credible choice. The original Droid has a hardware keyboard (lackluster though it may be) and the Nexus One has the Google rather than HTC Sense UI (though who knows when it will actually ship?) so it’s an embarrassment of Android riches over in Big Red land. (If you’re on Sprint, it’s EVO 4G ‘natch).

• If you can wait until the summer and aren’t fussy about carriers, Google may have another (two, three?) Androids on the market by then, but we have a sneaky suspicion Apple and iPhone HD (it won’t be called iPhone 4G) along with iPhone OS 4 will be the ones to watch in 2010. Again.

Head on over to Android Central’s complete Verizon Droid Incredible coverage for more, and let us know what you think — is it incredible?

Verizon Android Incredible vs iPhone is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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