Guide step-by-step:How To Enable iOS 4.2 AirPrint On Windows

You should be aware that AirPrint, the wireless printing technology that has been introduced with the latest version of iOS, was originally intended to work over shared printers connected to Mac and Windows as well.

However, this functionality was scrapped in the public release. Consequently, AirPrint on iOS 4.2.1 only works over certain models of HP printers. 

Nevertheless, if your workspace contains only a shared printer, the step-by-step instructions provided below will help you  to re-enable AirPrint on Windows 7: 

Step 1: You will need the latest version of iTunes on your Windows system. If you do not have it installed yet, download iTunes 10.1 before you proceed.

Step 2: Click here to download the AirPrint files. Extract the zipped version to a folder named ‘AirPrint‘ on your desktop. This folder will contain three files – airprint.exe, libairprint.dll and Xpdfprint.dll

Step 3: If you are on a 32-bit computer, move this folder from the desktop to “C:\Program Files\“. Users on a 64-bit computer will have to instead move the folder to “C:\Program Files(x86)\“

Step 4: From the desktop screen, go to Start -> Run and type CMD. Press the return key to continue

Step 5: Enter the following commands in the command window that appears. Please Note : Enter the commands as-is. Remember to insert a space after the ‘=’ symbol. 

32-bit Windows

• sc.exe create AirPrint binPath= “C:\Program Files\AirPrint\airprint.exe -s” depend= “Bonjour Service” start= auto
• sc.exe start AirPrint

64-bit Windows

• sc.exe create AirPrint binPath= “C:\Program Files (x86)\AirPrint\airprint.exe -s” depend= “Bonjour Service” start= auto
• sc.exe start AirPrint

Step 6: The airprint.exe application will now be launched. If you are prompted by the Windows Firewall, choose to ‘Unblock‘ the application

Step 7: Configure the printer settings so that it is set to the Shared mode on both the printer settings as well as on the network settings

Step 8: You will be prompted for the Admin user ID and password the first time you launch AirPrint from your iDevice. Enter the credentials to enable wireless printing. 

You are done. You should be able to print from your iPhone, iPad or iPad Touch via AirPrint to any printer connected to your Windows PC.

Guide: Install Android 2.2.1 Froyo On iPhone 3G / 2G Using Bootlace in Cydia [No Computer Required]

Probably the most easiest way to install Android on an iPhone 2G/3G is via iPhoDroid, which we did cover previously. But the problem with it is; you should have a computer to run the whole process of installing Android on your iPhone 2G/3G.

But thanks to Bootlace 2.1, you can now install Android 2.2.1 Froyo on your jailbroken iPhone without needing to connect it to any PC or Mac!

To kick things off, Bootlace 2.1 is only compatible with the following iPhones and iOS’:

• iPhone 2G running iOS 3.1.2 and 3.1.3.
• iPhone 3G running iOS 3.1.2, 3.1.3, 4.0, 4.0.1, 4.0.2 and 4.1.

And the jailbreaking tools which are supported by Bootlace 2.1 are:

• PwnageTool
• Redsn0w
• Blackra1n

You can follow here our guide for jailbreaking the iPhone 3G/2G using Redsn0w, Blackra1n and PwnageTool.

If you don’t meet the above requirements then you can’t go ahead with the installation of Android on your iPhone 2G/3G. If you do, then proceed with the following steps.

Step 1: Jailbreak your iPhone 2G/3G using the steps given in the links above. When you’re done, run Cydia from your iPhone’s springboard, and add “http://repo.neonkoala.co.uk/” (without quotes) as repository. Tap “Add Source”, and then you need to install “Bootlace” as shown in the screenshots below:

 

Step 2: Once you have installed Bootlace, fire up the app from the homescreen:.

Step 3: From “Bootlace”, you need to install “OpeniBoot”.

 

Step 4: Once “OpeniBoot” has been installed, tap on the “iDroid” tab in the bottom row to install iDroid.

 

Step 5: Once iDroid has been installed on your iPhone, tap the “QuickBoot” tab in the bottom row, followed by tapping on the Android logo, your iPhone will now restart and boot into Android. That’s it, you’re done! You now have Android 2.2.1 Froyo on your iPhone.

Please refer to Step 4 again if you want to check for Android updates in future. And it’s highly recommended that you perform the whole feat over a WiFi connection

iPad 2, iPhone 5 could use NFC for mobile payments

A report from Bloomberg suggests Apple will integrate Near Field Communication technology into the iPhone 5 for AT&T and the iPad 2. The technology would let you make purchases wirelessly by waving your iOS device over an NFC-enabled register. The payment-processing system would tie into your iTunes account which stores your personal and credit card information.

Earlier rumors pointed to NFC-enabled iPhones that would function as an electronic wallet or a security passkey. This previous rumor also hinted that Apple’s lineup of Mac computers would incorporate NFC technology in a two-way system that would let your iPhone communicate with your Mac.

NFC technology is expected to grow in the upcoming years here in the U.S. Recently, Samsung and Google introduced the Nexus S, the first NFC-enabled handset powered by Android. Google is also piloting a Hotpot program in Portland, Oregon that lets businesses place an NFC-enabled display in their windows. This specialized signage will send store and promotional information to NFC-capable handsets.

Though Apple has not detailed its plans for near field communication a recent patent application suggests Apple is exploring the idea of an electronic ticketing system using NFC.

Sony reveals PlayStation Suite framework, store for Android gaming

Sony just dropped a bomb on the Japanese stage -- not a single PlayStation Phone, but a PlayStation Phone experience for everybody. The company unveiled a cross-platform software framework called PlayStation Suite, which sounds rather boring in those words, but what it amounts to is an official PlayStation Store filled with games for your Android tablets and cellphones. Sound familiar? Sony's starting with an emulator for existing PSOne titles and is promising an Android game store later this year, but soon it might be much, much more: the company's calling PlayStation Suite a "hardware-neutral" development framework to make games portable for all sorts of handhelds, and says that "new and exciting content" is also on the way.

Sony will sponsor a first-party licensing and quality-assurance scheme called PlayStation Certified, and provide the marketplace as well, likely hoping to attract major game developers to build top-tier titles for mobile and get a piece of the action too. If your device doesn't have a pop-out gamepad handy, it looks like PlayStation Suite will emulate touchscreen controls, and you won't necessarily need a phone to get in on the action, as Sony says the next-generation PlayStation Portable will be compatible with games developed for PlayStation Suite right off the bat. Doesn't look like we're getting any details on game prices or compatible devices, but we imagine one particular phone will change all that at Mobile World Congress next month.

Update: Looks like PlayStation Suite requires Android 2.3 at a minimum, and it's PSOne, not PlayStation Portable titles that will be emulated here, despite Kaz Hirai's quote during the festivities. PR after the break!

Android OS To Dominate Smartphone Market By 2012

According to a report by digital marketing and media research firm eMarketer, Android OS will overtake Apple to emerge as the  No.1 mobile phone OS by 2012. It is to be noted in the last couple of years Android OS has shown tremendous growth with its market share rising from 6% in 2009 to 28% to 2010. By 2012 the number is expected to touch 31%, 1 percentage point above Apple, says the report.

Reasons For Growth in Android

There are several factors accredited to the growth of Android mobile OS. The fact that Android OS works on several smartphones and different carriers have propelled its growth. At the same time Android allows users to innovate in their platform while there is a more dominant control by Apple in its mobile OS.

But there are several issues which need to be addressed by Android if it needs to emerge as the number 1 mobile OS. Fragmentation and vulnerability of Android OS to malware attacks are two of the biggest problem related to the OS. Currently several Android smartphones work on different versions of the OS and at the same time it has seen a rising increase in malware attacks over the past few year.

How to Uninstall Unstable Apps When Cydia Won’t Open

Sometimes we install apps out of curiosity only to discover that they are unstable on our device. In some cases, it’s an app developed for a specific iPhone or iPad model. In other cases, the app is only compatible with certain firmware versions. Other times you may have installed conflicting tweaks.
Whatever the reason may be, here is a fix for a constantly crashing Springboard with no way to open Cydia to uninstall unstable apps. If your iPhone boots to the lock screen, but crashes if you do anything beyond that, this guide will help you to remove problematic packages without Cydia.
This is a last resort to uninstalling apps when Cydia won’t open. If Cydia loads, try to uninstall there first before resorting to this.
There are a few things that you need in order to make this happen. First, you need to have OpenSSH installed. Second, you need to remember the last package(s) that you installed before the problem occurred. If you just installed multiple apps, you’ll probably need to go one by one (or all at once) to remove the unstable package.
Navigate your web browser to http://modmyi.com/cydia/search.php and search for the name of the app.

Click the correct link in the search results, and you’ll find yourself at the modmyi package information page for that app. Look for the Identifier field and copy it down.

Now, go to SSH into your device from a Terminal prompt (ssh root@iphone-network-address) and run the command apt-get update. Once it completes, enter the command apt-get --purge remove identifier (where identifier is the field you copied in the previous step, i.e. net.limneos.sbrotator) and hit enter. Then type respring and hit enter.
Once you finally get rid of the unstable package, your iPhone will be usable and function as normal.

Microsoft hands out ASUS Windows Phone 7 developer devices to jailbreakers

Microsoft has handed out ASUS Windows Phone 7 developer devices to a number of “jailbreakers” recently.
Microsoft is currently working with the ChevronWP7 team of Windows Phone 7 jailbreakers to support homebrew applications on the platform. As part of the ongoing talks, Microsoft has provided the ChevronWP7 team with unreleased ASUS E600 Windows Phone 7 devices. Rafael Rivera, a member of the ChevronWP7 team, revealed the engineering device in a blog posting on Sunday. “As part of ongoing “homebrew” discussions with Microsoft, the gang (Long Zheng, Chris Walsh) and I were handed non-production, engineering ASUS E600 devices for development use,” wrote Rivera.
The devices are non-production and designed exclusively for development use. Rivera explains that the devices aren’t “super secret” but do feature a prominent serial number on the face of the device. “They’re just samples sent out through various channels (e.g. press) for testing and development use. I’m sure when the juicy stuff surfaces, you’ll see it on sites like Engadget,” says Rivera.
Microsoft confirmed earlier this month that the company plans to block the ChevronWP7 application that unlocks Windows Phone 7 devices for homebrew third-party applications. ChevronWP7 famously released their Windows Phone 7 “unlock” tool in late Novermber that allowed owners to side load home-brew applications. The tool, named ChevronWP7, used a method to trick the OS into registering itself as a Windows Phone 7 developer device with the application rather than Microsoft directly. Microsoft normally charges $99 a year for the privilege of loading developer applications. ChevronWP7 pulled the tool at Microsoft’s request just two weeks after it was originally released. It was later revealed that Windows Phone 7 devices “phone home” after around two weeks to re-lock unofficial developer devices, rendering the tool useless.
Microsoft representatives met with Rafael Rivera and Long Zheng of the ChevronWP7 team last week to discuss the tool and Microsoft’s plans to support homebrew applications on Windows Phone 7. The ChevronWP7 team has confirmed that Microsoft is working on long-term solutions that support homebrew Windows Phone applications. Microsoft is also working on a short-term solution to continue homebrew support after the first Windows Phone 7 update. “We’re collaborating with Microsoft on an interim solution that will continue to support homebrew developments after the update,” a ChevronWP7 spokesperson wrote in a blog posting on Saturday. “We will share details of this when it has been finalized.”
Microsoft’s approach to Windows Phone 7 jailbreaking is a stark contrast to that of its competitors. Sony launched a lawsuit against PlayStation 3 jailbreaker Geohot earlier this month. Whilst Sony is seeking to squash secret codes that the company uses to protect the PlayStation 3, Microsoft has reached out to the jailbreaking community. Microsoft recently reached out to PlayStation 3 and iPhone jailbreaker Geohot. George Hotz (Geohot) joked on his personal blog that he will be purchasing a Windows Phone 7 device soon and caught Microsoft’s attention. Brandon Watson, Director of Developer Experience for Windows Phone, posted a tweet attempting to reach Geohot. Julien Schapman, a Windows Phone developer, is also planning to release a Windows Phone 7 Device Manager that includes a new way to jailbreak Microsoft’s mobile operating system. Schapman confirmed to WinRumors that his unlock method is “different and more reliable” than ChevronWP7′s.

ASUS Windows Phone 7 device