Google has posted an update to their blogger account notating some new changes to their mobile version of Gmail.  From the looks of it, scrolling looks to be much improved as far as smoothness goes.  Before the pages seemed to be a bit more choppy and the distance it would scroll wasn’t always very accurate.  That problem appears to be fixed.

They’ve also added a floating toolbar that will remain static even when you scroll.  This should make it a lot easier to jump around your mailbox instead of having to scroll all the way back up a long thread in order to return to your inbox or another folder.  Google is noting these updates are compatible with devices running iOS 4.0 and up.

They’re also asking that if you have suggestions or comments, you should feel free to visit the Google Support Forums or tweet it and mention #gmailmobile.  Do you guys use the web version of this app at all? I personally just have Gmail set up as exchange.  Seems a lot less work to me.  What do you guys think?

Google Makes Improvements to mobile web version of Gmail is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

With Cydia currently not giving new users the ability to save their SHSH blobs it seemed like a good time to go over how to save your SHS blobs with an alternative, TinyUmbrella. An SHSH blob or ECID SHSH is basically a unique signature which is checked against Apple servers whenever you decide to restore the firmware on iPhone, iPad and iPod touch. Once a new firmware is released, Apple stops signing the older firmware, hence making it impossible to restore back to the older firmware from iTunes. So, YOU MUST SAVE YOUR SHSH WHILE APPLE IS CURRENTLY SIGNING THEM.

Now to "why is it important to save your SHSH blobs": The creator of Cydia has setup a new server which basically mimics Apple's verification server and can save your older signature (SHSH blob) so that you can downgrade or restore back to the older firmware. This is important because if you don't have your SHSH blob saved, and accidently update to new firmware, you'll loose your jailbreak and furthermore, you wont be able to downgrade back to older firmware to re-jailbreak your device.

Now while Cydia will probably once again start letting you save your SHSH blobs on the server automatically by using the “Make my life easier” button, a utility has been released which allows for both saving blobs on the server and locally and also for restoring older firmware via iTunes. You can also use TinyUmbrella to save your SHSH without being Jailbroken and for the currently signed firmware even if your iDevice is using a lower firmware. You can download it here: TinyUmbrella Look for version you need on right hand column.

Instructions for saving your SHSH

1. Download and run TinyUmbrella and make sure your iDevice is detected.
2. Check “Advanced Options.”
3. Under “Device / Version,” select the firmware version you want to Save (You can only restore to versions that have SHSH saved).
4. Click on “Save my SHSH.”
5. Repeat to save other firmware hashes if you wish.
6. Now, click on “Display SHSHs.” It should listed all hashes you have saved on your computer for all your iDevices.

Instructions for restoring:

(Make sure you have saved your SHSH blob locally using method above. If not, repeat the method above for the firmware you wish to restore to.)

1. Backup iDevice in iTunes and then close iTunes.
2. Open TinyUmbrella and make sure you dont get any errors on startup or else you will need to make sure that port 80 is open and that your host file is not set to Read-Only.
3. Click on Start “TSS server,”
4. Download firmware you wish to restore to from here: iPhone/iPodTouch
5. Open Itunes and use the Shift/Option + Restore method to choose the firmware file you wish to restore to (Upgrade button cannot be used)
6. After your firmware is restored you might get a 1004 error. Not to worry, simply click “Kick Device out of Recovery” if you get it.
7. Restore Settings from Backup in iTunes and sync.

Done! If you have any questions or need any help, head on over to our Jailbreak Forum.

by Farbod

How to save your SHSH blobs with TinyUmbrella [Jailbreak] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Apple has shown an increasing interest as of late in creating stainless steel devices that are more durable to everyday wear and tear, and have been experimenting with an external coating of nitride to make this possible.

The U.S. Patent and Trademark Office has published information relating to Apple’s latest invention of a new application which they call “Nitriding Stainless Steel for Consumer Electronic Products.” This describes a cost-effective system that would include placing a layer of nitride on top of the stainless steel exterior to help it wear better over time. The application reads:

In addition to providing a durable, hard surface that is both scratch and impact resistant, the nitride layer allows for the natural surface color and texture of the underlying stainless steel to remain visible to the user. It is this natural surface color and texture of the stainless steel that adds to the aesthetically pleasing appearance of the consumer electronic product, thereby enhancing the user’s overall experience.

This concept would allow the look and feel of the stainless stell to be maintained while at the same time providing greater protection against scratches and other wear and tear that devices face on a day to day basis. It’s also desireable because it is non-magnetic and would be less likely to inhibit 3G wireless signals as well as Wi-Fi and Bluetooth. We all know this is rather important after the infamous antennagate Apple faced with the release of the iPhone 4.

[ Apple Insider ]

by Brian Tufo

Apple Going Towards Stainless Steel With A Nitride Coating? [Patent Watch] is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

The next edition of the iPad Live podcast comes you on October 31, Halloween, and you know what that means? Costumes! But with so many options to choose from — Georgia as Steve Jobs, Rene as the mythical white iPhone, Chad as Evernote?! — we need a little help deciding just what to wear. If you have a suggestion, send it on to us via Twitter:

• @iChadman
• @GeorgiaTiPb
• @reneritchie

Then tune in live on Sunday to night to see just what we picked!

Which costumes should we wear for our Halloween iPad Live podcast? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

It looks like hackers have had their hands on the iOS 4.2 beta 3 for iPad long enough to jailbreak it. Last night, well-known iOS hacker @iH8sn0w tweeted a picture of an iPad running MobileTerminal, a jailbreak app giving the user full access to the terminal command line interface. From iH8sn0w:

Yay! iPad 4.2 b3 jailbroken — Weird that MobileTerminal runs in simulator

Going along with Apple’s normal beta schedule, it would seem they missed the beta 4 release window this past Tuesday. This could signal that Apple may skip beta 4 altogether and go straight to a GM build sometime next week. (Maybe that’s connected to the stealth developer summit Apple is rumored to be holding in Cupertino next week?)

So what does this all mean? Once Apple releases iOS 4.2 there will likely be a jailbreak available shortly (if not immediately). No need to worry about having to wait before you upgrade to if you’re a dedicated jailbreaker!

Will you be jailbreaking your iPad once 4.2 hits? Let us know in the comments!

[@iH8sn0w]

by Andrew Wray

iOS 4.2 for iPad already Jailbroken is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

As previously announced, Verizon and AT&T have started selling the iPad today. AT&T is selling iPad Wi-Fi + 3G at the standard pricing for both device and data plan. Verizon is offering the wifi-only iPad bundled with their own Verizon MiFi, for more flexible, if less integrated 3G connectivity.

Once again, the bundle prices are:

• 16GB iPad and MiFi – $629.99
• 32GB iPad and MiFi – $729.99
• 64GB iPad and MiFi – $829.99

Data Prices (per/month):

• 1GB – $20
• 3GB – $35
• 5GB – $50

Since the AT&T iPad is pretty much what we’ve had all along, we’re more interested in asking if anyone will be opting instead for a Verizon iPad + MiFi this holiday season?

by George Lim

iPad now on sale at Verizon, AT&T is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

After some strange hiccups last night that saw distorted images, among other things, the white iPhone 4 has been removed entirely from the Apple Online Store. (Curiously, the white iPhone 4 is still shown on Apple’s iPhone product gallery)

Seems a fitting way to cap off a week of drama that saw hints of the white iPhone 4 in the updated Apple Store app, Apple announce they were delaying it until spring 2011, and BGR rumoring that it might just be cancelled completely.

As to why the delays keep happening, we’ve heard everything from proximity sensor issues, light leaks, problems bonding the color to the glass, to the inability to match the home button to the faceplate.

My best guess at this point? It’s the fifth Cylon and it just knew we were on to it.

[store.apple.com, iPhone 4 gallery]

White iPhone 4 disappears from Apple Online Store is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Is Apple hosting a secret iPhone and iPad developers summit in Cupertino, starting next Tuesday and running for 3 days? So Business Insider and their industrious industry sources would have us believe.

We are short on details, and we have not seen any public information about it, but it sounds like this will be a more intimate version of the iPhone Tech Talks that Apple hosted around the world last year.

Since it’s iOS-specific, it’s not about the just-announced Mac App Store or the still unannounced Apple TV App Store (grrr!), but rather something designed to improve the quality of iPhone and iPad apps in the face ever growing app competition from the likes of Google’s Android platform. And with iOS 4.2 coming sometime in November, along with AirPlay goodness, the timing could just be right.

Then again, a stealth summit would mean invitation only, so Apple would likely target just the kind of developers who already make some of the best apps on the platform anyway. Should they be trying to make the best even better, or is there some way they could improve those 290,000 less-than-great apps that currently clog up the store?

[Business Insider]

Apple hosting stealth iOS developer summit? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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