iPad 2 launched one week ago today in the US and we know a lot of your TiPb readers snatched them up — so how is it working out for you? Like it or love it? Frustrated or failed by it? Minor upgrade or major revelation?

We’ve given you our iPad 2 review and now we want to hear from you! Vote in the pole above and give us your take in the comments below!

Poll: How are you enjoying iPad 2 one week later? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

TiPb brings you a glossary of common iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, and Apple TV social networking terms for Twitter, Facebook and more

Reading up on iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or Apple TV and wondering what all those social networking terms are? From follower to friend, RT to like, we’ve got you — and every term we can think of — covered below!

For even more iOS and Apple-related terms see our complete iPhone and iPad glossary. And as always, if we’re missing anything, add additions and corrections in the comments below!

• @: Used to target specific Twitter users. See Mention.
• #: Used to create clickable search terms in Twitter. Clicking on #iPhone would show a timeline of all other tweets with #iPhone in it.
• Check in: Submitting your location to Foursquare, Gowalla, Facebook Places, or similar location-based app.
• DM: A “Direct Message” or private communication sent from you to another Twitter user who follows you. (You can only DM people who follow you.)
• Follow: A uni-directional relationship in Twitter where you see another user’s updates but they don’t see yours, and they can DM you but you can’t DM them back. (Unless you both choose to follow each other.)
• Follower: Someone who Follows you on Twitter.
• Friend: A bi-directional relationship in Facebook where you connect with another user and they’re granted a connection back to you.
• Group: A way to connect Facebook friends into a small community with shared interest (e.g. you could create a Facebook group for your book club.)
• Like: A way to share content on Facebook. When you “Like” a link (such as a TiPb story) it appears in your Facebook feed and your Friends have a chance of seeing it.
• Mention: A way to make sure a specific Twitter user will get your post in their timeline. Requires you to put an @[username] into the tweet (e.g. @TiPb will make sure we see your tweet). If a tweet begins with an @mention only the specific user mentioned and people who follow both you and the specific user will see the message. If the @mention isn’t at the beginning, anyone following you will also see it. (Previously called @replies.)
• Messages: Facebook’s new hybrid email, SMS, IM platform used to privately communicate with Facebook friends.
• RT: A “Re-Tweet” or republishing another user’s tweet to your own followers. Previously you had to copy/paste the tweet and manually add RT: [@username] in front of it. Now Twitter provides an automatic API for doing it (though some users still prefer “old style” manual re-tweets).
• Timeline: A list of a user’s Twitter status updates in reverse chronological order.
• Tweeps: Slang term for Twitter Peeps (People), aka your Followers.
• Tweet: A Twitter posting, limited to 140 characters (so that the entire message and up to 30 character username can fit in a 160 character SMS text message).
• Twoosh: A tweet of exactly 140 characters.
• Via: an alternate form of re-publishing a tweet where, instead of prefacing with RT, a /via @[username] is placed at the end.

TiPb Guide: Common Twitter, Facebook, and social network terms is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

There have been a lot of conflicting rumors this week about the unannounced iPhone 5 and its so far imaginary new NFC (near field communication) feature, including that it wouldn’t have said imaginary feature, it would indeed have it, and it would have it and then some. Dizzy yet? You will be…

The Independent first said iPhone 5 (which doesn’t yet exist) wouldn’t have NFC (which Apple has never announced):

“The new iPhone will not have NFC, Apple told the operators it was concerned by the lack of a clear standard across the industry.” Yet Apple is understood to be working on its own NFC proposition, which would link payments through iTunes. It hopes to introduce the technology in a handset likely to be released next year.

So we’ll have to wait for iPhone 6 (which also doesn’t yet exist) to NFC? Not so fast says Forbes, which cites a friend of an entrepreneur (no names!):

An entrepreneur who is working on a top-secret NFC product told me today that he believes the iPhone 5 will have NFC and cited a friend who works at Apple as a reliable source for the information. To further bolster his statement, the entrepreneur said that manufacturers of NFC readers – whom he has been talking to for his own product – also expect the iPhone 5 to have NFC.

Then along comes Cult of Mac to throw even more rumor on the mill:

Apple is working on a system that allows users to log into another computer using an NFC-equipped iPhone. The iPhone pairs with the host machine, and loads the user's files and settings over the net. It's as though the user is sitting at their own machine at home. [When] a NFC-equipped iPhone is paired with a guest machine, part of the user's profile includes the apps they've purchased through the Mac App Store. The icons for their apps appear on the remote Mac, but aren't downloaded, our source said.

Giving us access to our Mac apps if we so wish sounds great but given the back and forth on the rumors, do you think we’ll really get it come June?

[The Independent, Forbes, Cult of Mac]

iPhone 5 NFC: Yes, no, maybe so?! is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Last night word broke that AT&T was sending SMS messages and email to customers who didn’t have tethering plans but AT&T suspected were tethering via Jailbreak apps like MyWi. In their messages, AT&T offers 3 choices:

1. Stop tethering
2. Voluntarily change to a paid tethering plan (and lose unlimited data if you were grandfathers in)
3. Be forcibly changed to a paid tethering plan by AT&T (and lose unlimited data)

It’s still uncertain if and how AT&T knows if a customer is tethering via Jailbreak. Theories include everything from deep packet inspection to use of WAP vs. ISP pipes to counting TTL numbers, to “they’re bluffing” and simply targeting high bandwidth users.

Regardless, AT&T seems fairly serious about it this time. We heard from one reader who called in and tried to explain away high data usage on Netflix and other streaming media services, only to be told the AT&T tethering team would look into.

Tethering team?

While AT&T is able to charge what they want for any services they offer, it hits incredible unfairness buttons in consumers when they feel they’re being charged double to use the same bits. With unlimited plans it’s somewhat understandable — AT&T’s network would likely collapse in a puddle if everyone tethered all the data they could. With a 2GB plan, however, bits should be bits. How about this?

1. Offer tethering for free on the 2GB plan
2. Offer an extra 2GB for $15.
3. Offer reasonable overage charges beyond that.

It lets bits be bits, it offers a fair way for power users to get more data, and it provides fair protection from the heaviest 1% of users who would put a huge hurt on the network.

(Disclosure: I’m on Rogers, they’ve so far offered tethering for free on any account with 1GB – 6GB of data a month since iOS 3, and personal hotspot is now free as well since iOS 4.3.)

Have you spoken with AT&T and their tethering team yet? What’s your situation right now?

More on AT&T’s war on Jailbreak tethering is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Was Rene out filming something “funny” for TiPb TV, or did he just get caught being a big, dorky iPad tourist? The always awesome @richardlai and @philnickinson clearly think the way I do — dorky iPad tourist and offer some photoshop evidence to prove it (see after the break).

Which made me wonder — how many more places could our terrific TiPb nation find a photoshopped Rene? Since a contest is likely the best way to find out, here it is!

How to enter

Photoshop the picture of Rene and his dorkalisious Hawaiian shirt and tweet us the picture (make sure you include @TiPb so we see it and the hashtag #ipadtourist — also don’t forget to follow us so we can DM you if you win). The funnier the time, place or situation the better! (But keep it family friendly, please!)

Prizes

Our favorite photoshop wins an iPad tourist pack courtesy of store.tipb.com, including an Aquapac waterproof case for iPad to keep it safe on the beach, and a Motorola MOTOROKR S305 Bluetooth Stereo Headset to keep you rocking on the road!

(And @reneritchie has even offered to give the Hawaiian shirt as a special bonus prize, so @reply him as well and tell him you want it!)

Inspiration

Need some inspiration? Here’s @richardlai:

And @philnickinson:

A few more in the gallery below. Can you do better? Can you do the best?

iPad 2 tourist photoshop giveaway is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

9to5Mac says a source at Foxconn — Apple’s Shenzhen based manufacturer — has sneaked them some details about iPhone 5, namely it keeping the same form factor as iPhone 4 but switching the back glass for metal and bumping up the screen size.

Although some reports claim the iPhone 5 will adopt a curved metal back, our source says models have been floating around with a flat metal back. The material of this metal is unspecified. Our brains say aluminum but our hearts wonder if this could be Liquid Metal.

The next major enhancement is said to be a larger display. An enhanced screen for the next-iPhone has been rumored, but an exact screen size has only been pinpointed by Digitimes (4 inches). Our sources do not have precise screen measurements for the iPhone 5 but are certain that it appears to be larger than the one found on the iPhone 4.

An iPhone 4 design with liquid metal backing and 4-inch close-to-Retina Display (it would have to keep the same 960×640 pixel count to maintain app compatibility so the density would go down to below 300ppi) — sound good?

[9to5Mac. Note: Image above shows aftermarket iPhone 4 metal back conversion]

iPhone 5 to have flat metal back, larger screen is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Every day, TiPb gets flooded with announcements for new and updated iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad apps and games. So every day we pick just a few of the most interesting, the most notable, and simply the most awesome to share with you!

• CarZen: Research and Buy New Cars: This app is focused on delivering pain-free car research experiences that empowers consumers to make better car-related decisions. [Free - iTunes link]

• PDF Expert: This professional PDF documents reader has been updated to 2.0 and allows users fill out PDF forms and more! [$9.99 - iTunes link]

• FlickStackr: This Flickr app has been updated to support iOS 4.3 including iPad2 camera and AirPlay for Flickr Videos. [$1.99 - iTunes link]

• Tango Video Calls: Now supports multi-tasking. Check your email, browse the web, or send a text message while in a Tango call! [Free - iTunes link]

• ChatTime: International calling to Japan is free until March 21. [Free - iTunes link]

Any other big apps or game releases or updates today? If you pick any of these up, let us know what you think!

New and updated iPhone and iPad apps for Friday, March 18 is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Some AT&T iPhone users, Jailbroken and tethering via MyWi, are getting text messages and e-mails from AT&T that imply they know they are tethering even though they aren’t on an official tethering plan. One of our own writers, Andrew was one of those who received the message.

I use MyWi to tether as well but have not received anything yet. (I actually was just tethering today.) I’m not sure how they are detecting MyWi users but I can make some educated guesses.

1. Since AT&T offers Personal Hotspot under iOS 4.3, they may have access to data they didn’t before, and they’re choosing to use it in a pretty crappy way. So if you’re on iOS 4.2.1 still (almost all jailbreakers are) and they see you’re generating traffic that looks like Personal Hotspot, they know you’re doing so without a plan.
2. Like Chris says below, browsers use the wap APN. Tethering uses the ISP APN. As such, larger data is expected through ISP not through WAP. So if AT&T sees a lot of WAP data it may raise a flag.
3. As several people say in the comments and Twitter, if AT&T sees a TTL reduction that suggests a device like a laptop or iPad in between the connection, it may raise a flag.
4. They’re just going after heavy data users again and trying to bluff them into switching to a tethering plan and losing their unlimited data. Andrew tethers a heck of a lot more than me. I only consume a fraction of what he does. So that’s a viable answer too.

Originally Jailbreakers used MyWi because AT&T took a year longer to offer iPhone tethering than international carriers. Since then they’ve used it to get around AT&T’s ridiculous fees for tethering. (Tethering is free on some international carriers as well.)

Hit the jump to read the e-mail AT&T has been sending out as well as to let us know what you think! Anyone else been getting messages from AT&T? Anyone on iOS 4.3 using official Personal Hotspot? Any PDANet users?

UPDATED: AT&T spokesman Seth Bloom told Phone Scoop:

We’ve just begun sending letters, emails, and text messages to a small number of smartphone customers who use their devices for tethering but aren’t on our required tethering plan. Our goal here is fairness for all of our customers.

[ModMyi Forums and Phone Scoop]

Dear [Customer],

We’ve noticed your service plan may need updating.

Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones– a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T’s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.

Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan.

If you would like to continue tethering, please log into your account online at Cell Phones and Cell Phone Plans – Wireless from AT&T, or call us at 1-888-860-6789 Monday – Friday, 7 a.m. – 9 p.m. CST or Saturday, 8 a.m. – 7 p.m. CST, by March 27, 2011 to sign up for DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering.
Here are details on the plan:

DataPro 4GB for Smartphone Tethering
• $45 per month (this gives you 4GB in total, combining both your smartphone data plan for $25 and the tethering feature, $20)
• $10 per each additional GB thereafter, added automatically as needed
• Mobile Hotspot capabilities are included for compatible Smartphones

If we don’t hear from you, we’ll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB afterMarch 27, 2011. The new plan – whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you – will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.

If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.

It’s easy to track your usage throughout the month so there are no bill surprises. For example, we send you free text messages when you reach 65, 90, and 100 percent of your plan’s threshold. If you would like to monitor your account more closely, go towww.att.com/dataplans to learn about other ways to track your data usage.

As a reminder, our smartphone data plans also include unlimited usage of Wi-Fi at no additional charge. AT&T smartphone customers can use Wi-Fi at home or on-the-go at any one of our more than 23,000 U.S. hotspots already included in your data plan.

Thank you for bringing your account up to date. We appreciate the opportunity to continue to serve your mobile broadband needs.

Sincerely,

AT&T

UPDATED: AT&T cracking down on jailbroken MyWi users? is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

• Our podcast feed
• Download Directly
• Subscribe via iTunes

Severely sleep deprived Rene and Georgia discuss iPhone 5, more white iPhone rumors, iOS 4.3 features and bugs, Bon Jovi, and how we use our iPhones. Plus, your questions answered! This is iPhone Live!

Show notes and all the week’s iPhone news after the break!

Announcement

• TiPb TV 17: iPad tourist

iPhone 5

• Apple A5 is dual Cortex A9, PowerVR SGX 543MP2 competition stomper
• Bringing specs to an experience fight

White iPhone

• White Verizon iPhone 4 icons show up in iTunes 10.2
• Donate to Japan earthquake and tsunami relief via iTunes

iOS 4.3

• iOS 4.3 features: In-app purchases always require password
• TiPb Asks: How's your battery life with iOS 4.3?
• iOS 4.3 bugs: Web Clips, WebViews not benefitting from new Nitro JavaScript engine, asynchronous mode, HTML5 caching

Crazy celebrities

• Bon Jovi: Steve Jobs killed the music business

Apps

• Google Mobile app updated and renamed Google Search [video]

Hosts

• @reneritchie
• @GeorgiaTiPb

Credits

Thanks to the TiPb iPhone accessory store for sponsoring the podcast, and to everyone who showed up for the live chat!

Our music comes from the following sources:

• I Called You — iPhone Remix by Pete Leidy
via Sneakmove iPhone Ringtone Challenge

iPhone Live 142: Tin foil hats is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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

Want to find out how to clear your browsing history in Safari? Need to make sure no one has a way of knowing what websites you’ve visited on your iPhone or iPad? Keeping that special gift you got your friend a secret or any other reason (at TiPb we don’t judge). Lucky for you there’s a quick and easy way to clear all of your browsing history in Safari so hit the jump to find out how!

To clear your browsing history in Mobile Safari all you need to do is follow these quick steps:

1. Go into the Settings app and select Safari

1. Scroll down to the very bottom and tap ‘Clear History’

1. Confirm.

That’s it! All of your browsing history will be gone the next time you launch Mobile Safari, so you don’t have to worry about someone finding something you didn’t want them to see!

Bonus Tip: From the Safari settings pane you also have options to clear cache and cookies. Mobile Safari stores a cache of websites you visit to help reduce bandwidth usage and server load. Cookies are used to store authentication information, site preferences etc. If you want to clear your cookies and cache just tap ‘Clear Cookies’ and ‘Clear Cache’. You’ll be asked to confirm for both, just like when you cleared your browsing history.

Bonus Tip 2**: Need to clear more than just safari? Check out our full iPhone and iPad clearing tip!

Tips of the day will range from beginner-level 101 to advanced-level ninjary. If you already know this tip, keep the link handy as a quick way to help a friend. If you have a tip of your own you'd like to suggest, add them to the comments or send them in to dailytips@tipb.com. (If it's especially awesome and previously unknown to us, we'll even give ya a reward…)

Daily Tip: How to clear your browsing history in Mobile Safari is a story by TiPb. This feed is sponsored by The iPhone Blog Store.

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