Swimmers of Britain, stock up on small change! You’re going to need it to pay for a locker to put your iPhone into every time you go to the pool.

And why will you be taking your iPhone to the pool? Because, damp exercise addicts, you’ll have installed Splashpath.

Apple has re-introduced field test mode in iOS 4.1, which will allow you to quickly check the quality of your cellular signal by simply dialing: *3001#12345#* and pressing Call on your iPhone.

The signal bars on your iPhone will be replaced by a number. The higher the numeric portion of the negative number gets the worse your signal is. For example, -100 is worse than -79.  If you tap on the displayed number the display toggles between displaying the number and the normal signal bars.

The original field test mode had a more robust set of features being reported, but signal strength is all you get in this version.

Try the test for yourself and during the test hold your iPhone 4, the wrong way, by connecting the two metal bands on the lower left corner with your finger or hand over the black plastic strip. You’ll see the phone’s signal quality drop rather drastically due to the iPhone 4 death grip. According to AnandTech they were able to make calls and remain on that call with a signal strength as low as -113 on their iPhone 4.

If you are done testing simply press the Home button to return to your iPhone Home screen.

This is an interesting development considering the fact that Field Test Mode vanished in iOS 4.0 when it was released along with the iPhone 4 and the subsequent Antennagate scandal that rocked the Internet.

[via Gizmodo]

Four school districts in California have teamed up with publisher Houghton Mifflin Harcourt in a pilot project to test the use of iPads in math education.  400 iPads will be distributed among six schools in the program for use in algebra classes:

Houghton Mifflin Harcourt today announced a year-long pilot of the first-ever full-curriculum Algebra app for the Apple iPad. The pilot also represents the launch of HMH Fuse™, a new mode of curriculum delivery where interactive platforms and mobile devices bring learning to life for students by moving beyond the one-way experience of a print or digital textbook.

Through the revolutionary iPad environment, students can receive feedback on practice questions, write and save notes, receive guided instruction, access video lessons and more with the touch of a finger. The app’s multi-dimensional functionality combines instruction, ongoing support and intervention, allowing teachers and students to customize learning and meet individual needs.

The schools involved include Washington Middle School and Hudson K–8 in Long Beach Unified, Kings Canyon Middle School and Sequoia Middle School in Fresno Unified, Amelia Earhart Middle School in Riverside Unified, and Presidio Middle School in San Francisco Unified School District.

The iPad is a natural platform for use in education, it’s a magic sheet of paper which can display text, graphics and video, test students, provide internet access and facilitate student-teacher interaction.  Many colleges and universities have already begun exploring its possibilities.  I don’t doubt it will find a strong niche in grade school as well.

[via SlashDot]

“This thing is thin!” says iFixit CEO Kyle Wiens, who just performed a teardown of the 4G iPod touch. “So thin that there is literally no room for the 5 MP camera in the iPhone 4.”

Here’s what he found:

Go get it! Available through iTunes.

The update for iPhone and iPod touch includes lots of bug fixes, as well as new features like HDR photos, HD video upload, TV show rentals and Game Center.

The update is compatible with iPhone 4; iPhone 3G and GS; and iPod touch 2G. Not all features work on all devices however.

In November, Apple will release iOS 4.2, which will include iPad support.

This is a great day for iPad-owners seeking a deal. We’ll get to those, but first our spotlight bargains. First up is the Dilbert Mobile app for iPhone and iPod touch users. The app is usually $4, but it is now free. Next is a mini stand for your iPad. Finally, is the 2010 app bundle from MacUpdate. This bundle includes 10 applications.

Along the way, we’ll also check out a camera kit for your iPad, an 80 percent reduction on iPad accessories, and several cases for your iPhone 4. As usual, details on these and many other items are available at CoM’s “Daily Deals” page after the jump.

Apple’s iTunes Store may soon be remembered more for its applications than its music roots. That’s the conclusion of a new report showing its taken 2.2 years for the App Store to deliver 6.3 billion apps, a milepost it took the iTunes Music Store around five years to reach, according to TechCrunch’s interpretation of the above Asymco chart.

Owners of iPhones, the iPod touch and iPad average 17.6 million apps downloaded per day, compared to around 7.5 million songs, according to the firm.

We’ve already heard that Apple’s iPad is putting a hurt on netbook sales. Now comes thinking that the iPad is a threat to the entire PC industry.

“Sales of traditional notebooks appear to be feeling pressure from the iPad,” UBS analyst Maynard Um says. Although the iPad cannot match PCs function-for-function, consumers who buy an iPad “may be more willing to delay purchases and upgrades of existing PCs,” Um told investors.

HP soon intends to relaunch their Palm-acquired webOS mobile operating system with a major new version, which they intend to use in a new lineup of devices to compete directly with iOS devices like the iPad. One new addition to the webOS arsenal of software features is pretty head-scratching, though: according to leaked screenshots of the software beta, the next version of webOS will sport MobileMe integration.

Huh. We don’t get it. Sure, Palm has done its dance with Apple before, giving Pre owners the ability to sync their media libraries through iTunes until Cupertino dropped the banhammer. But in that case, the benefits made sense. What does MobileMe integration get someone who has opted to buy a webOS phone or tablet instead of an iPhone or iPad… and just as importantly, what does it get HP, and will Apple kick?

[via Boy Genius Report]

If you fancy a computer reboot to start off your day in exchange for some better WebKit stability and security, Apple has just pushed a new Safari update down the pipeline, fixing a stable of bugs and freshly revealed security vulnerabilities, including:

• Fixes an issue that could prevent users from submitting web forms

• Fixes an issue that could cause web content to display incorrectly when viewing a Google Image result with Flash 10.1 installed

• Establishes an encrypted, authenticated connection to the Safari Extensions Gallery

The 39MB Safari 5.0.2 update is available through Software Update now, or directly from Apple… and if you’re still stuck on Tiger, Apple’s even gone the extra mile and snuck out a 4.1.2 update for you throwbacks.