It pretty much sounds like a given that we’ll be getting a 2048×1536 Retina display, which means, at 9.7-inches it won’t be quite as dense as the iPhone 4S but you’ll likely be holding it further away from your eyes, effectively making the difference minor.

LTE 4G networking is harder to pin down. The Qualcomm chipset sounds like it’s ready, but LTE simply isn’t very widespread yet, and Apple has huge international sales. Apple currently offers three iPad 2 models: Wi-Fi, EVDO Rev. A, and GSM/HSPA. Could they switch to Wi-Fi, EVDO Rev A/HSPA+, and make the 3rd SKU an LTE model for carriers that support it (most importantly, Verizon?)

Quad-core Android tablets were announced earlier this year, does Apple have to meet that latest processor escalation? More cores open the door to more features, for example AirPlay uses the second core to mirror the iPad 2 display, but do we really need 4 yet? Since Apple controls both hardware and software, they can optimize the heck out of their processor and get performance that often feels better than greater spec’ed competition already.

Likewise 1GB of RAM and 128GB of NAND Flash memory storage. 1GB of RAM, especially with a Retina display, may open the door to even more spectacular gaming, especially if the GPU is also getting a boost as expected. The multitasking system could do with a healthy amount of available RAM as well. With Apple going to the iCloud it may not seem like on-device storage is as big a deal as it used to be, but with iBooks 2 making textbooks a reality, with the possibility of 1080p video support on the horizon, and with truly epic games needing a lot of storage space, it’s definitely something that should be on the radar.

Almost 3 years later, and USB ports and SDHC card readers are still something we get asked about. Apple has their Camera kit dongle and that’s likely all they’ll ever have. Wireless is their future for files. Thunderbolt, on the other hand, would be great for moving the largest of the large files, at least until next-generation Wi-Fi is ready. But Thunderbolt is based on PCI Express architecture, the kind you find in PCs, and doesn’t sound like it’s iPad compatible yet.

Better cameras, however, are certainly iPad compatible. Granted, few people will be replacing tiny, pocketable point-and-shoots with iPads, but the current cameras are barely serviceable. Facetime HD up front feels like table stakes at this point, and something in the 5 to 8 megapixel range would be much better in back. If either the Retina display or LTE radio requires a bigger battery, making iPad 3 even slightly thicker, hopefully Apple has the depth to put a decent piece of glass in as well.

The iMore Nation are a demanding people and we make no apologies for that. We love our Apple devices because they’re typically built beautifully and just work, and we’re going to keep Apple’s feet to the fire. Vote in the poll up top, and then tell us what’s most important to you and why in the comments below!

There are stand-alone gadgets like Fitbit or Jawbone UP that keep track of your movement (or lack thereof!), and sleep activities, and let you enter food information. They connect to our iPhones to share data and deliver reports so we can see how we’re doing and adjust according. The are also stand-alone apps that don’t need extra hardware and just do similar things right on our iPhones. Both often have social network connections to, so your friends and family can see your progress, be it weight lost, distance traveled, calories burned, sleep enjoyed, or food consumed. That adds accountability and some peer pressure that could help keep you motivated and on track.

Have you tried any of them? If so, which gadgets or apps or accessories did you like best? Have you tried them but ended up not using them, or simply not tried any health and fitness apps or accessories at all? If not, why not?

Vote in the poll up top and give me all the details in the comments below, and don’t forgot to jump into our new Health and Fitness Forum — you can attain your goals and get entered into our big iPad 3 giveaway. Sweet!

iPad 3 is likely up next, and the big rumor is Retina display on the order of 2048×1536. Less certain but still desirable are quad-core chips and LTE networking. Much the same rumors apply to the iPhone 5, just replace the already-present Retina display with an oft-requested 4-inch screen. You could throw a 7-inch iPad in there for good measure to.

Is it something subtler you’re waiting for, like NFC support, or something more dramatic like 3D?

Apple TV hasn’t been updated in over a year, so are you really craving some 1080p or are you all about the Apple iTV televion rumors now?

Maybe it’s the Mac you want — more specifically a 15-inch MacBook Air? A redesigned Mac Pro? If you could get just one big hardware gift from Apple this year, what would it be?

Give us your vote up top and then give us the details in the comments below!

When it comes to iPad 2 cases, everyone has an opinion on which type is best — hard, soft, waterproof, leather, or skin case

There are advantages and disadvantages to all styles of iPad 2 case. Do you value form or function? Style or security? Gloss or grip? Protection or low-profile? A lot will depend on what you do with your iPad. A construction site has different iPad case requirements than a vacation on the lake or a trip to a trade show. And now that all the basics have been covered — how many little black iPad cases can one girl or guy own? — manufacturers are getting more creative with materials and molding. iPad cases can now be about fashion and fun as well. Cool colors, terrific textures, and niche needs are all being covered now. And the very best iPad 2 cases bring all of that together, and more.

iPad 2 hard case: Otterbox Defender

People who love iPad cases love Otterbox. It’s a perennial favorite. With triple layer protection, it’s the ultimate iPad case for those who need their iPads ruggedized for work, travel, or just for kids. It even comes with a shield-like front cover that can double as a typing or movie-watching stand.

• $59.95 – iMore store link

iPad 2 soft case: Hive Honeycomb dermaSHOT Silicone

Incipio has been experimenting with new and unusual textures in their iPad 2 cases lately, and with the Incipio Hive Honeycomb dermaSHOT Silicone it’s really paid off. They’ve added extra grip to both sides of the Hive Honeycomb to make it more comfortable to hold onto while gaming, and it manages to avoid being both slippery or tacky at the same time.

• $29.95 – iMore store link

iPad 2 waterproof cases: Overboard

Until Lifeproof comes out with an iPad 2 case, Overboard is my go-to companion for everything from baths to beaches. The Overboard not only has room for your iPad 2, but you can keep some cash or credit cards in there if you’re traveling, and if you drop it in water, it’ll even float.

• $44.95 – iMore store link

iPad 2 keyboard cases: ZAGGfolio

The ZAGGfolio is an iPad 2 case that packs in a keyboard and is best suited for road warriors, or anyone who needs to pound out some serious productivity on the go. When not in use, it protects your iPad from harm, but quickly folds out into full on work mode.

• $99.99 – ZAGG link

iPad 2 leather cases: Pad & Quill Contega

Pad & Quill’s Contega case for iPad 2 takes the now familiar hipster moleskin style to a new level, incorporating a hidden pocket and cover that can fold up into a stand. It’s lacquered Baltic Birch, finely bonded Italian leather, expertly handcrafted for your iPad 2.

• $109.99 – Amazon store link

iPad 2 luxury cases: White Diamonds

Okay, the White Diamond iPad cases aren’t all about protection — they’re about stunning good looks. With amazing artwork and glittering Swarovski crystals, these cases are only for those who want to deck out their iPad 2 with serious bling.

• Variable – White Diamonds link

iPad 2 film cases: BodyGuardz

If you want a lot of scratch protection with as little bulk as possible, BodyGuardz for iPad 2 has you covered. Literally. We’ve taken nails, stones, and children to it and almost a year later, BodyGuardz have kept our iPad 2s sensationally scratch free. BodyGuardz won’t stop drops or bumps, but it will kill scratches dead.

• $19.95 – iMore Store link

iPhones are on-the-go, getting things done, highly “mobile accomplisher” devices so jailbreaking for extra features and productivity makes a lot of sense. iPads tend to be feet-up, relaxing, focusing, general purpose devices, so maybe members of the iMore nation don’t feel as compelled to Jailbreak?

But we want you to tell us. Now that the iPad 2 jailbreak is here, is it a must do and no need? Vote in the poll up top and give us your reasons — pro, con, or still on the fence — in the comments below.

For some it will be a no-brainer. The untethered jailbreak of the iPhone 4S has been their holy grail, the thing they’ve been waiting for, the thing that will complete them and make their iPhone 4S finally, fully functional the way an end user intends.

Others feel iOS 5 copied so many basic jailbreak features, including and especially notifications, that there’s no need to bother with jailbreak anymore. Apple has you covered.

Vote in the poll up top and give us your reasons — pro, con, or still on the fence — in the comments below.

Some people think Apple is spearheading a new generation of in-depth, interactive, learning tools to bring textbooks and classrooms into the next generation. Others think Apple has once again created a proprietary platform to once again exert draconian control over and increase platform lock-in.

Some people think Apple has created an alternative to the expensive, outdated, antiquated books students used to have to lug around. Others think Apple sucks for not offering $12 iPads to go along with it.

We’ll be back to give you our collective opinions later, but right now it’s your turn, iMore Nation. What do you think of Apple’s educational offerings?

While the rumors suggest no hardware, which means no iPad 3, I think many of us are holding out at least a little secret hope that Apple pulls a fast one and decides to show off just how good educational material looks on a 2048×1536 resolution Retina display. What, a girl can dream, can’t she?

Fine. Back to reality. Electronic textbooks (eTextbooks? iTextbooks?) are one of the biggest rumors, thanks to Steve Jobs mentioning how ripe they were for disruption. Will they be iBooks-style ePub books? A new format? A proprietary new format? Will they be sold in an iTextbookStore, or will they be handled the way Apple is handling TV and movie content, via apps collected in a special Newsstand-style folder?

Will iTextbooks be produced exclusively by Apple and for iOS? Will traditional textbook publishers be able to participate? Will you and me? If Apple makes a publishing tool as easy to use as iWork’s Pages, that might just be possible.

iTunes U is a terrific resource and certainly education-focused. Could iTunes U play a roll in Apple’s announcements?

We’ll find out for sure tomorrow (and make sure you join us for a special edition of iPhone and iPad Live at 10am ET and follow along for the event!), but in the meantime, what do you think? Vote in the poll above and make your best guesses in the comments below!

If you listened to Girls Gone Gadgets last night, you heard Ashley, Kim, and me debate Verizon’s new $2 convenience tax — where and when it’s actually applied and how much money they stand to make from it over the course of a year. (Plus, perhaps, some mature language and impassioned ranting.) But at the end of the day it doesn’t matter what anybody thinks but Verizon customers. If you’re one of them, is $24 a year insignificant to you? Is it annoying but something you’ll just pay attention to avoid? Or is it the last straw that drives you to another carrier? (Who might just be smart enough to phrase or hide their fees better — cough, Sprint, cough.)

We’re running a cross-site Mobile Nations poll, so vote below and give us your thoughts in the comments below.

Personally, I just switched to the Case-Mate Barely There Brushed Aluminum case and I’m loving it. Before that I was using the Draco IV and before that, the BodyGuardz Carbon Fiber.

As always, vote in the poll up top and give us the reasons why in the comments below. And if you’re not sure what kind of case you like yet, check out the links below for lots of examples!

• TiPb iPhone 4S Accessory Store
• Amazon iPhone 4S Accessories

DreamBoard tried a new take on the old theming engine. aTV Flash brought Jailbreak power to the new, iOS-based Apple TV. And iUsers brought multiple accounts to the iPad.

As always, a group of very different, but very good apps and tweaks, and it’s your job to pick the very best one. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Noteshelf made our iPads useful in planning sessions. Elements made Dropbox note-taking sing.

[Orchestra To-Do] (http://www.imore.com/tag/orchestra-to-do) packed out tasks with functionality. Due made reminders quick and powerful.

Instapaper put everything we wanted to read in our pockets, but better. Screens took iOS back to our Macs.

A ton of very different apps to be sure, but all of them helped us get stuff done, and it’s your job to pick the very best one.

Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Sure, that’s a ton of stuff to sort through, but they’re all great and you have to pick your favorite. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

DODOCase redid their classic for iPad 2. Pad & Quill took things up a notch with their Contega.

Otterbox added the Reflex to their armored offerings. BodyGuardz added the thin and strong Carbon Fiber.

Incipio kept thing sleek with the Feather Ultra-Light. Case-Mate went with a kick-stand for the Pop!

Yup, that’s a lot of different kinds of cases, but to keep the number of categories sane, we had to it. They all have two things in common, however — they’re all great and you have to pick your favorite. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Tiny Wings showed that greats looks, simple gameplay, and killer concept still make for the best iOS games. Tiny Tower showed that new time-management games could still grab attention if done with attention to detail.

SPY Mouse brought some Firemint flare to the platform puzzler. DragonVale took the farming genre back to the days of legend.

Cut the Rope: Experiments showed last year’s great new games could be this years great new sequels. Minecraft meanwhile finally showed up on iOS, and while limited, it’s still Minecraft on iOS.

That’s a half-dozen choices across almost as many genres, but you can only pick one. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Both Element Case and Draco Design fixed a lot of the early reception issues and created even more stunning finishes. [Pad and Quill[(http://www.imore.com/tag/pad-and-quill) scaled down their wood and leather for iPhone, while DODOCase opted for a leather sticker instead.

Otterbox got sleeker but no less well defended, while Lifeproof brought a great new product to the protective space. Case-Mate added brushed aluminum to their Barely-There, and BodyGuardz added some Carbon Fiber to the mix.

mophie kept even hard-pressed iPhone 4S batteries going, while Apple slightly tweaked their iPhone 4 bumper to fit the Verizon iPhone 4, which also enabled it to fit the iPhone 4S.

Yup, that’s a lot of different kinds of cases, but to keep the number of categories sane, we had to it. They all have two things in common, however — they’re all great and you have to pick your favorite. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Apple’s iMovie video editor hit the bigger screen, launching as a universal app alongside the iPad 2. 8mm Vintage Camera brought an old school aesthetic to one of the newest shooters on the planet.

GarageBand brought Apple’s multitrack music editor to iOS, complete with instruments. Djay let you mix tracks so realistically you’ll think you’re in an 80s breaking movie. DM1 – The Drum Machine turned your iPad into a vintage drum kit.

Yes, it’s odd jumbling all these apps together, but to keep the number of categories sane, we had to it. They all have two things in common, however — they’re all great and you have to pick your favorite. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Path also released a new version with a bold, breathtaking new user experience and slightly more picturesque and timeline based focus. Apple added yet another separate social network to their portfolio, this time Find my Friends which offers very fine grained privacy control wrapped it more stitched leather than a puffy couch. And Google got into the game in a huge way with Google+.

Twitter for iPhone shed it’s Tweetie heritage and while power users howled, it just might have become more usable for the mainstream. Luckily power users had plenty of places to turn with Tweetbot offering an entirely different take, with that trademark Tapbots look and increasingly deep functionality, and Twittelator Neue offering eye-popping animation and amped up interactions.

Verbs also did the remarkable by showing how simply and elegantly instant messages could be handled on mobile.

Incredibly different, incredibly rich, it’s hard to pick just nine, never mind one — but that’s your job. Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

Privacy also took a swift, hard roshambo in the rights this year as everything from Apple’s poorly coded location recording system to Google, Facebook, and Twitter being forced into decade, or double decade privacy oversight, to lack of disclosure surrounding Carrier IQ making headline. On the flip side, the media earned more than their usual share of fail points for once again never missing a chance to linkbait and headline grab at Apple’s expense.

Netflix decided to take one the most successful, most loved brands in modern media and jack up the prices without proper PR, then split the company into Qwikster, then not split the company, then… we got lost. Instead of making streaming more solid and reliable — and available internationally — they spun in circles. Twitter likewise decided that poor communications, creating unease and distrust among developers, the #dickbar, and now the #dickapp re-design, and generally putting their user base last is something they’re now big enough not to have to care about.

And then there were the patent problems — Apple and Android makers suing each other, Lodsys suing independent developers, and generally everyone taking the tools of innovation and wielding them for consternation.

Vote up top and tell us why you voted they way you did in the comments! These are your awards, so get to it!

• See all 2011 TiPb Readers’ Choice Award polls

While some carriers in some countries allow for free tethering on the more expensive data plans, many countries, including the US do not. That means those carriers make extra money charging for tethering plans, and apps like Netshare and iTether threaten that extra money (or double-dipping, as you may wish to call it.)

I don’t know if Apple has carrier agreements in place to prevent tethering apps and protect revenue streams, the way they once did to prevent VoIP over 3G, but should that really be the users problem? Should it be Apple’s to police? If you get a tethering app and stay beneath your data cap, shouldn’t that be between you and your carrier? And if you’re on an unlimited plan, aren’t they already sending nastygrams if you go over a certain amount anyway?

TiPb Nation, what do you think? Should Apple allow tethering apps in the App Store?

AT&T still offers the fastest data speeds, with HSPA 14.4. Verizon claims the best network coverage. Sprint is the only major carrier still offering unlimited data to new iPhone owners. C-Spire is the only small carrier to pick up the iPhone 4S to date. T-Mobile… you have to work for it and it’s EDGE only, but that means you must really love them to stick with them!

But now that you have a choice, TiPb Nation, we’d like to know who you chose and why? Was it speed? Was it coverage? Was it data? Was it customer service? And did you switch from a different carrier to get iPhone 4S on your current carrier? As always, vote in the poll up top and give me the details in the comments below!

Have you gone (or stayed) all in on any one approach? Do you mix and match, for example use iCloud for personal information but still connect to iTunes for big files like movies? If you have a family and are managing iPhones, iPod touches, and iPads for spouses and kids, do you sync them all the same or does it vary? Do your kids games pop up on your work iPhone thanks to automatic downloads, or do their iPods get stale because it’s become too much of a chore to keep everyone updated?

How is sync working for you in iOS 5? Does it “just work” or is it more complicated and confusing now than ever? Vote in the poll up top and let me know the details in the comments!

And how’s everything else working for you? Any bugs under 5.0.1 you didn’t have before the update?

• How to fix battery life problems with iOS 5 or iPhone 4S
• Need extra help? Try our iOS 5 Forum!

Do you have just one main account? Do you have separate accounts, and/or use separate services for work and for personal use? Do you have multiple accounts for a bunch of different stuff? Do you forward most or all of them to the same place? Do you even setup all your email accounts on your iPhone or do you leave some off? Would you recommend what you’re using to a friend, or something else?

How are you handling email on your iPhone? Vote in the poll up top and then give me the details in the comments below!

It lets us more nicely organize those newspaper and magazine apps, and we get to see front page or cover art rather than the app icon, but the apps themselves are still a crapshoot when it comes to quality and design. iBooks are pretty unified — I buy a book and I know how to navigate through it and easily read it, and I know if I put it down on my iPad when I leave home, I can open it up and keep going from the same place when I open it again on my iPhone at work. If I want to read my Trashy Gossip Mag, no such luck.

With Newsstand we sometimes get straight exports from the magazine or newspaper themselves, almost like PDF printouts, ads and all, with little in the way of iOS specific features and nothing that takes advantage of the technology literally at our fingertips. Other times we get more immersive experiences with sound, movies, and easy sharing if we so choose.

And the subscription options are all over the place, but mostly they still don’t match up with traditional options. Why can’t we, universally, buy an issue for the same or cheaper cover price, or subscribe for the same or cheaper yearly option? If I can get one issue of Trashy Gossip Mag for $5 and 12 for $20, shouldn’t we have the same option on iPad?

Should Apple create a proper iNews apps like iBooks with standardized pricing and presentation? Should they go back to just apps, on their own? Or is Newsstand the answer?

Vote in the poll up top and let me know where you stand on everything from pricing to ads to the quality of the content itself in comments!

While we know it isn’t going to happen, it is still fun to dream, so the question arises – would you like to have the option to download other keyboard options for iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, like you can for Android? The iPhone keyboard is really good and a lot of people seem to type rather well on it, but wouldn’t it be nice to have the option to change it? To have something like Swype or Swiftkey as an option? Or to get them in pink or yellow, or themed after your favorite band or video game or TV show if you wanted? Wouldn’t it also be nice to have a custom layout, or different spacing?

Are you happy that there’s only one keyboard to rule them all on iOS devices, or do you wish Apple would let you change them up? Vote in the poll up top and let us know why you feel the way you do in the comments!

In an ideal world you iCloud mail will show up everywhere, all at once, with perfect push notifications, your calendars would just work, even when shared, and your contacts would all be related so you could tell your special someone you’re running late… again. Your Documents in the Cloud would all be up to date, available at the touch of any app that can edit them, and your iTunes in the Cloud would let you re-download any song or TV show as easily as you always could apps. Your backups and restores would work flawlessly, and your Photo Stream would actually let you delete unwanted pictures. If you had to use Find my iPhone, it would send a locator immediately and you’d never have to wait a day to discover you left it in your other pants pocket. And we’d all have iTunes Match.

In the often more brutal real world, however, you mail might not be pushing, your documents might be disappearing, your songs not all showing up, your Photo Stream causing you grief, and Find my iPhone doing anything but. (Grrrr.)

So you tell us TiPb Nation, what are your experiences with iCloud so far? Is it a game changer or just MobileMe part deux? Vote up top and give me the glorious — or gory! — details in the comments below!

Is it the best phone you’ve ever owned? Is it just a decent upgrade? Is it about the same as your previous phone? Or are you already regretting the decision to buy?

We’ve already told you what we think about the iPhone 4S, now it’s your turn TiPb Nation. Vote in the poll up top and give me the details in the comments below!

Now a new phone, especially one that talks back to you, is so fun to use that we might not get back down to every day levels for a while still. But if you’re not talking to Siri every minute, if you set up as new rather than restoring from backup, if you’re not lighting up all the new location-based Reminders and Find my Friends, and your Notification Center isn’t set to the full fire hose, how do you think battery life compares to your previous phone?

Is it great, gets through the day, no problems whatsoever? Is it about the same? Is it so bad you’ve stopped using Siri, turned off location services, disabled push notifications, and gone to commiserate with your Android wielding friends?

Vote up top and give us the details, including anything that’s helped you improve battery life, in the comments below!

Vote in the poll up top and then give us the great — or gory — details in the comments below. If you are having problems, let us know how you’ve tried to trouble shoot: clean install (not from backup), remove and re-add push accounts, delete and re-download notification and location happy apps, turn off Ping (always a good idea), turn of location Reminders, restart a lot — what’s worked and what hasn’t?

Vote in the poll and then please share your thoughts as to why in the comments below!

In a few hours Apple will hold their Let’s Talk iPhone event and we’ll have our answers. Right now, there’s still time for some last minute speculative fun. So put your cards on the table and vote for what you think Apple will announce (not what you want — that’s all glowing Apple logos and voice activation — but what you realistically think Apple will show off). Then jump in the comments and give me the details so come this afternoon we can see who got the closest!

I’ve been hoping for option 1, a real, redesigned iPhone 5 since about a minute after I saw the back glass of iPhone 4. Jeremy on the other hand keeps bringing me down by saying “you get iPhone 4S!”.

But is faster, maybe thinner and lighter enough for you? Or will it take a substantial redesign for you to upgrade your iPhone again? If you don’t get it this generation, will you hold onto what you have and wait for the next or, horror of horrors, start looking at something else? I know Rene loves the iPhone 4 design and I’m sure many others do as well. Sure it has been on the market for 15 months already, but iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS kept the same design on the market for 24 months (closer to 40 if you count the iPhone 3GS 8GB that’s still being sold today!)

What do you think, TiPb Nation — Would you be less likely to get iPhone 5 if there’s no new design?

What’s the main reason you Jailbreak your iPhone, iPod touch or iPad? Is it for themes, so you can change up the whole look and feel of your device? Is it to unlock so you can run it on T-Mobile or travel internationally? Is it convenience, so SBSettings and BiteSMS can keep you going faster? Is t coolness, so you can show your friends the icons rolling around your screen or how you can turn your device off like an old TV? Is it Tethering, because you feel like you’ve already paid your carrier once for that data? Is it functionality, because you want your screen projected or recorded?

Maybe it’s all or most of the above, but if you had to pick just one Jailbreak feature that’s most important to you, what would it be?

What’s you main iOS device, your daily driver, your gateway to the App Store? No doubt many of you have an iPhone, but which one? Those who don’t, did you go for iPod touch or iPad, and which model? Even if you have one of everything, which is your most used, your favorite, the one you simply couldn’t do without?

We already know a lot of you are just waiting for iPhone 5 to update, but now we want to know what you’re going to be updating from. And yes, it’s not multiple choice, you’re going to have to pick a side!

Vote in the poll up top and give me the details, why you use one more than the others, in the comments.

What’s the next iOS device you plan on buying? I’m guessing a lot of the TiPb Nation is waiting for the iPhone 5, but is anyone going to skip it and hold out for the iPhone 6? Maybe you hope that Apple discounts the existing iPhone 4 like usual, or puts out a budget iPhone nano instead?

The iPad 3 sounds like it’s not coming this fall after all, but are you planning to get it shows up this spring? Or does a new iPod touch 5 fit your needs better?

What if Apple finally makes a real iOS powered iPod nano, one that works amazingly well as a watch and shows all your notifications? Anyone else besides me really want one? And if they finally let Apple TV go a full 1080p, would that be on your shopping list?

Let me know what you plan on buying in the poll below, and give me the reasons why — or better yet, why not! — in the comments below!

webOS users: Now that HP has decided to bloody well abandon Palm Pre, Veer and TouchPad users and put the whole future of your fav platform in doubt, are you planning on giving iPhone and iPad a look? Are you shopping around? Or are you holding to hope that some knight in shining hardware swoops out of this darkest night to rescue your beloved webOS and give it the chance it so truly deserves?

While we could never replace your admittedly sweet cards and synergy, and we may not be as tweakable as Android, as fresh as Windows Phone, or have a slider like BlackBerry, iOS is elegant, well designed, has more apps than anyone could use in a lifetime, the best web browser in the business, is relentless updated by Apple (witness iOS 5 — with unobtrusive notifications! — coming the fall!), and has an awesome Jailbreak community for everything else.

Also, the TiPb Nation rocks! (I’m just saying…)

Let me know which way you’re leaning in the poll up top and lets talk about it in the comments below. If you need extra help, make sure you jump over to our iPhone and iPad Forums, you might just find some old friends from PreCentral.net waiting to reconnect!

Simple question: is your iPhone home button still working as it should? Ever since iOS 4 and the reassignment of double click to the fast app switcher, it seems like we’re click, click, clicking the home button more than ever, and that seems to be creating problems more and more often.

A lot of you have written in, or posted in our iPhone Forum to tell us your home button is causing you problems, and even more of you are hitting our how-to fix home button problems, and how to use Activator to get around home button problems daily tips in search of solutions. Even our illustrious editor, Rene, had to get his original iPhone 4 swapped out at the Apple Store because the home button was causing him grief.

Apple has been experimenting with multitasking gestures for iPad, and we’ve even seen rumors that they’ll do away with the home button completely.

Is you home button not working the way it should? Is it a hardware problem that’s just not registering clicks, or a software issue that’s misreading the number of clicks? Let us know in the poll above and then give us the details in the comments!

Holy heck! Waking up to the news of Google buying Motorola Mobility just shows you how fast our industry is moving and changing. But what does it mean for Apple, iPhone and iPad? Will Google really continue to run Motorola “as is” without much change, and Droids and Xooms will just come out again as they came out before? Or will Google start to copy the Apple model more and give Motorola exclusive Nexus handsets with much better, and even more competitive integration? Or will HTC, Samsung, and other Android OEMs feel screwed by this whole deal and start looking more seriously at Windows Phone or maybe even webOS, resulting in less choice for consumers on the Android side?

What do you think, TiPb Nation? Will Motorola for one welcome their new overlords and remain status quo, or is this the beginning of a new galactic order when it comes to iPhone and iPad competition? Vote in the poll above and give me your analysis in the comments below!

It’s almost back to school time, TiPb Nation, and that means we’re getting back to business bringing you more of what you love about iPhone, iPad, iPod touch, and Apple TV. But my question is, what exactly do you want more of?

When you hit TiPb, what do you want to see first and foremost, and what do you want to more keep up with more casually? We know everyone has different tastes and opinions, but this time it’s okay to be selfish. This time it’s just about YOU.

What do you want from TiPb this fall?

Facebook is the most popular app on the iPhone and we’ve often said Twitter and iOS go together like chocolate and peanut butter. But social networks rise and fall. Remember MySpace, Jaiku, Buzz… Friendster? And hey, how about Google+ now that it’s expanding beyond the techie early adopters, or LinkedIn which seems to always hover neither here nor there.

Which social networks do you use regularly? Let us know in the poll up top and give us the details, including which one(s) you prefer, how often you use them, — and your profile link(s) if you feel especially social about it — in the comments below.

Following months of rumors and tons of hype, Spotify finally made it’s US debut last week and… we’re curious as to whether or not you’ve switched to using it for most of your mobile music fix? Given that iPhone users could already choose between Pandora, Slacker, rdio, Napster, Rhapsody, and pretty much everything except Zune Pass (come on Microsoft!), not to mention Amazon Cloud Player, Google Music Beta, and iTunes sync (and soon, iTunes Match), there’s some strong, established competition for Spotify to contend to.

If you did switch, why? If you didn’t, why not? What’s most important to you in a streaming music service? That they offer tons of tracks, that they let you upload your own, rare music, that they offer streaming or subscriptions, that they have playlists or genius/recommendation engines?

Bottom line, have you switched to Spotify or are you using something else? Vote in the poll up top and give us the details in the comments below!

If you’re in the US and you subscribe to Netflix, we’d like to know how you feel about the new pricing they announced yesterday? If you’re only into streaming, not much has changed. If you want unlimited DVDs as well, however, you need to cough up an extra $6 a month.

Maybe DVDs are a relic to you, or a bag of hurt, and you haven’t watched optical media in years. Hey, iPad, iPhone, iPod touch, and Apple TV don’t support them anyway! Maybe, however, since Hollywood still can’t get their digital release act together, they’re a beloved part of your home theater experience.

Or maybe it’s not about whether or not you watch or want DVDs, but about how Netflix is treating you as a customer that matters? No doubt shipping all those envelopes around the country is getting more and more expensive, but are you perceiving increased value for the increased costs on your end? Or do you feel like you’re being weened off the old era before the new one is really ready to replace it?

Are you peeved enough to take your streaming elsewhere? To get your DVDs from a competitor? Or are you going off DVDs altogether?

Vote up top, and let us know how you really feel — and what you think Netflix should do about it — in the comments.

Can you not wait for Apple to release a second, Retina Display equipped iPad 3 (or iPad 2 HD/Pro/Plus) this year, or does the mere thought of it fill you with unbridled geek rage? The rumors keep getting stronger, and TiPb and many others have heard that Apple is seriously considering adding a new iPad to the already chock-a-block fall lineup.

If you just paid $500-$900 for an iPad 2, it’s understandable that that would set you off. You wanted top of the line for 2011 and you expected your investment to be top of the line until at least next spring. How could Apple try and obsolete your beautiful new iPad 2 just 6 months out of the gate?

Some of you might look at your iPad 2 and really be annoyed by the lack of Retina Display, and want Apple to address that asap, damn the costs. Or maybe you skipped iPad 2 because it wasn’t a big enough bump and have been waiting to go Retina for a while already, and the sooner the better. Hey, maybe you haven’t even gotten on the iPad train yet and this is the model you’ve been holding out for, and now is not a problem.

Apple has already sold over 20 million plus iPads and while that’s a good chunk of potential upgrades, they likely have their eyes set on a much bigger prize — the over 100 million iPhone uses who don’t have iPads yet, and beyond them, the hundreds of millions of consumers who don’t have any iOS devices at all yet.

Apple has us, understands we’ll upgrade when and if we can, but it wants them. Would a more expensive iPad be the way to increase their already market leading share of the tablet market? Maybe a little. The bigger share will be, of course, at the lower end of the market — a place Apple has eschewed in the past for everything but iPods. But an iPad Pro to fit the MacBook Pro square in the product matrix is interesting… if the standard iPad 2 gets a price drop to better address the lower end at the same time…

Either way, how do you feel about Apple potentially releasing a second iPad this year?

Now that Apple is finally selling the unlocked iPhone 4 in the US, will you be buying one? If so, is it the lack of a contract, the easy SIM-swapping when traveling, or some other reason that makes it compelling? (Like scalping them overseas, maybe? You can tell me!) Or with iPhone 5 just around the corner, is there no way you’re dropping $650-$750 on a 12 month old iPhone 4 at this point? Are you undecided, or decidedly no?

Both Rene and I bought unlocked iPhone 4s when they were first released in Canada, and while it was nice not to have to sign or renew a contract, the lack of subsidy made it really expensive. If I had to do it over again, I might just take the subsidy and save myself some cash.

Vote in the poll up top and let me know what you think in the comments!

With rumors of iPhone 5 potentially adding a third US carrier, would you rather that carrier be T-Mobile or Sprint?

T-Mobile is GSM like AT&T but would require different, AWS bands for 3G. They also offer “4G” over HSPA+, which iPhone 5 just might support. However, AT&T is trying to buy them, so they might get the iPhone that way sooner or later. Sprint is CDMA like Verizon but would need access to their network. They also offer “4G” over Wimax, which Apple will probably never support because LTE will be a much bigger, more global technology. (See our wireless networking glossary for what all those letters mean.)

If you could have only one for iPhone 5, T-Mobile or Sprint, which would it be?

So will you still Jailbreak now that Apple has included notifications, lock screen info, and so many other features into iOS 5? Granted most of them don’t do as much as their Jailbreak counterparts, but you aren’t required to Jailbreak to use them either.

Are you a hardcore Jailbreaker and you’re going to do it no matter what? Are you taking a more wait-and-see attitude? Or has Apple finally done enough to convert you from #TeamJailbreak to #TeamPure?

Vote in the poll up top and give me your reasons in the comments below!

After what seems like a years of speculation and months of rumors, Apple has finally shown us iCloud with sync, photo stream, iTunes Match, untethered activation, and… what do you think? Is it the perfect solution you’ve been waiting for, or did Apple once again prove they don’t get the ‘net?

How does it compare to Amazon and Google’s offerings for the stuff you want to do?

Did they have you at “iCloud”, will you try it out and see if they can win you over, or was it DOA to you?

Vote in the poll and let me know what you really think in the comments!

So now that you’ve gotten your first taste of IOS 5 – notifications, iMessage, and so much more — what do you think? Did it blow you away, make you mostly happy, leave you wanting more, or just tick you off?

This is it, Apple’s mobile OS for 2011 and a good part of 2012. Is it enough to keep up with Google’s upcoming Android Ice Cream Sandwich (love their names!), HP webOS 2 and 3.0, Windows Phone Mango (not sure about their names yet!), and BlackBerry’s new QNX platform?

Is it enough to keep you on Apple, or to win you over to iPhone and iPad for the first time? And why?

Vote in the poll up top and give me the details in the comments below!

What’s your absolute favorite device for browsing the web — iPhone, iPod touch, iPad, or your Mac or Windows PC? I’m a little torn myself.

The iPhone is great when I’m out and about and have no other options, but it’s small and doesn’t support Flash, and it’s not a fast experience.

iPad is big and beautiful and I love it for reading and relaxing but it also doesn’t support Flash and I can’t type on it as fast as I need to for things like blogging here on TiPb.

My 11-inch MacBook Air is portable but not really mobile, so I don’t have it always when I need it, but when I do it can handle every kind of web page imaginable and has a keyboard so I can easily whip up posts like this.

(We have an iMac in the house, but I almost never use it.)

If you had to pick one — if you were stranded on Internet Survivor Island and could have only a single device with you for browsing the web — what would it be, iPhone, iPad, or PC?

Vote up in the poll and tell me why in the comments! I’ll reveal my answer on the next podcast!

While the iPhone, iPod touch and iPad come with built in, Apple made Gmail, Maps, and YouTube native apps, Google also provides Google made Gmail, Maps, and YouTube web apps. Apple native apps gain all the benefits of being part of the OS, including attachments, uploads, contact integration, etc. but Google updates their web apps quickly, gives you labels, stars, and ties them into the rest of your Google info, and keeps the experience the same regardless of the device you’re using.

Do you have a preference? Do you prefer Apple’s design and the unique iOS look and feel of Mail, Maps, and YouTube, or you prefer the Google vibe and want everything to look like the web regardless of where you’re accessing it from?

Apple vs. Google. Native vs. Web.

Vote in the poll and give me the details in the comments!

With your iPhone, do you mostly type with the keyboard in portrait mode or portrait rotation? Apple added landscape keyboard system wide in iOS 3 because they said users kept asking for it. I never use it though. On the iPhone, I’m strictly a portrait typist.

In portrait mode, I can easily reach both sides of the keyboard with either thumb, or just hold my iPhone 4 in one hand and quickly tap away with the other. And it just feels like more of the screen is left uncovered that way. We talked about it on the last podcast an Rene, Chad, Seth, Leanna, and Andrew were pretty much all in agreement — portrait was the way to go.

Several people in the chat disagreed though. They liked the wider, roomier landscape keyboard, especially for composing longer emails or notes. Some also liked that they could hold their iPhone two handed in landscape mode and tap away with both thumbs. Even though the remaining screen was shorter, they liked that it was wider.

So which type of typist are you? Landscape, keyboard, or is it complicated? Let me know in the poll up top and give me the details in comments!

Once again drawing inspiration from Chad and Rene making fun of me on iPhone Live! we’re polling the TiPb nation to find out if you buy or download your apps and games directly on your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch, or if you prefer getting them via iTunes on your Mac or Windows PC and syncing over, or if you go both ways?

I don’t think I’ve ever bought or downloaded an app on iTunes. I always get them right on my iPhone or iPad. My iPhone is with me all the time so it’s just easier that way and I’m usually with my iPad when I see a great new app or hot new game I want to try, so I just grab it right away.

What would be really sweet would be if I could buy an iPad app on my iPhone and have it pushed right to my iPad next time I unlock it (or vice versa).

Let us know how you get your apps in the poll above and then tell us how you’d prefer to get them in the comments!

Which version of iOS are you currently running? Apple released iOS 4.3.3/4.2.8 last week so we figured we’d see how many of you in the TiPb nation updated your primary device, be it an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad to the latest and greatest?

Did you rush out an update immediately? Did you wait until you next needed to sync with iTunes and it reminded you? Did you wait for the Jailbreak before updating? Or did you not update at all?

Since you all listen to our iPhone Live and iPad Live podcasts (right?!) you know I haven’t updated yet and probably won’t until I find a bug or see a feature that really encourages me to do it. (Hey, I don’t even update my apps, remember!)

If you have multiple iOS devices, just vote based on the one you use most and either way, give us all the juicy details in the comments!

Are you getting a white iPhone 4? If rumors are to be be believed, tomorrow is the day you can finally get your hands on the very nearly mythic device. Almost 10 months after Apple announced it at WWDC 2010, it should be going on sale at Apple Stores, Best Buy, and a variety of carrier stores world wide.

Have you waited this long to update? Will you be swapping your nearly identical black iPhone 4 for white? Or do you have absolutely no interest at all in this and just want Apple to get on with iPhone 5 already?

Vote in the poll and give us the details in the comments!

Do you sync your iPhone, iPad, and iPod touch email, contacts and calendars from Mail or Outlook via iTunes or have you moved to the MobileMe, Google, Yahoo!, or Microsoft cloud? For many people, especially in business, Outlook is life but connecting a cable and launching iTunes isn’t a very convenient way to stay current. MobileMe had a rocky start but has been stable for a while now, and rumors persist that Apple is about to re-invent it (especially now that the $99 box is almost impossible to find). Google is huge with geeks but does things in its own way and provides little to no support when things go wrong. Yahoo! was once a power house but now you almost never hear about them anymore. Meanwhile Exchange is huge in enterprise and Hotmail has become Microsoft Live Mail and is finally playing nicer with iOS thanks to ActiveSync.

When it comes to files there are even more choices. You can still sync via iTunes to apps that support it, or you can use Apple’s iDisk, Google Docs, Dropbox, Box.net, SugarSync, or a number of options from Microsoft including Skydrive and SharePoint (though you seldom see any of them when it comes to iOS.)

Have you standardized on a single solution or do you use more than one? For example, do you use different accounts or even services for home, work, school, private info, etc.?

Vote in the polls and let us know the details in the comments?

Our newest jailbreak ninja, Cody, recently let you know how to untethered jailbreak iOS 4.3.1 via redsn0w but since then, how has it been? I personally haven’t had time to upgrade to iOS 4.3.1 and re-jailbreak. Cody however has voiced that he has had a lot more springboard crashes than he did under the previous iOS 4.2.1 greenpois0n jailbreak.

Most jailbreakers are aware that not all apps are compatible with a new jailbreak, so outside of those causing issues, are any of you experiencing issues? Cody and a couple readers have wrote in to let me know that they’ve experienced some safe mode crashes and reboots under iOS 4.3.1.

If you have issues, let us know in the the poll and/or in the comments as well as checking out our TiPb jailbreak forums to see what issues other members are experiencing and if they’ve found any ways around them.

The iOS 4.3.1 untethered Jailbreak for iPhone, iPod touch, and original iPad is here — and our awesome new Jailbreak writer, Cody, has already got your full how to guide posted, so check it out! My questions is — are you going to pull the trigger and Jailbreak your iPhone, iPod touch, and/or original iPad? All of them? Some or none of them?

I currently Jailbreak my iPhone and Apple TV but not my iPad, though when the iPad 2 Jailbreak hits I may be tempted to try it out. I know Rene Jailbreaks his phone but not iPad, while Ally #TeamJailbreaks everything including her kitchen appliances and Chad and Leanna are #TeamPure for life.

Where do you fit in? Vote in the poll (please pick an answer for iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad!) and then tell us the whys — or why nots — in the comments below!

Now that Amazon has Cloud Drive and Cloud Player up and running alongside their music and movie service, anyone thinking about switching over from iTunes? Despite constant rumors Apple hasn’t yet announced their own digital locker or cloud streaming service, perhaps because they’re still trying to negotiate licenses with the record labels. Amazon did it without licenses (which kind of impressed us!). They also often have lower prices than iTunes, though iTunes still has the edge on ease of use.

So what do you say, have you switched from iTunes to Amazon? Are you considering it? And if so, what does Apple have to do to hold on to you?

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!

As predicted, Apple released iPad 2 last week… pretty much as predicted. There really were no surprises — no Retina Display, no Thunderbolt or USB or SD port, no LTE or WiMax or HSPA+ radio, no 128GB of storage, no big photon camera or 3D display, no kickstand or cappuccino maker… Okay, I’m joking about some of those. Maybe.

But which one of those omissions irk you the most? What feature do you really wish Apple had added to iPad 2?

Vote in the poll above and let us know the details of your antici-pointment in the comments below!

You’ve watched the keynote, you’ve read our coverage, you’ve learned when and how you can get an iPad 2, so all that’s left is for us to ask — are you getting one?! If so, are you getting black or white? If 3G, are you getting AT&T/GSM or Verizon?

Vote in the poll above and then give us the details (like 16GB, 32GB, or 64GB, etc.) and the reasons in the comments below!

So now that anyone and everyone can order a Verizon iPhone online… shall it be yours today? Would you rather wait and line up at the Apple Store tomorrow for the full iPhone experience? Did you already get a Verizon iPhone on pre-order or are you waiting for the Verizon iPhone 5? Could you be AT&T iPhone for life, or just not interested at all?

Give us your vote in the poll above and then share all the details in the comments below!

The Verizon iPhone will ship with Wi-Fi personal hotspot and iOS 4.3 looks like it will bring it to everyone — but will you use it? And more important how much are you willing to pay for the privilege?

Verizon provides it free on some devices but charges for it on others and they haven’t released any official pricing for iPhone 4 yet. AT&T charges for tethering and makes you switch to one of their new, limited data plans so if you’re grandfathered into unlimited it could be a deal breaker. On the other hand it will let you ditch your Mi-Fi if you’ve been using one of those as well as an iPhone.

How important in Wi-Fi personal hotspot to you and how much would you pay for it? Vote in the poll up top and let us know the details in the comments below!

Which version of iOS is running on your iPhone? According to the developer of Bump on Quora almost 90% of us are running a version of iOS 4 on our iPhones. The current iOS 4.2.1 alone accounts for almost 53% and iOS 4.1 almost 28% (I suspect up to half of that might just be Jailbreak, hmm?). iOS 3.1.3 is next with over 6% which just might be some hesitant iPhone 3G users…

(If you’re curious TechCrunch contrasts these with Android numbers: 2.3 is 0.4%, 2.2 is almost 52%, 2.1 is just over 35%.)

Which version of iOS are you running? Vote in the poll above and let us know why you’re on your chosen version — developer, jailbreak, performance, etc. — in the comments!

[Quora via Techcrunch]

Are you switching to the Verizon iPhone and if so what smartphone or feature phone are you switching from? We know some AT&T iPhone users are making the big switch as are some Verizon BlackBerry and Android/Droid users but also a lot of feature phone users might be making the smartphone plunge for the first time. (Bye bye flip phone!)

Let us know where you’re coming from in the poll above and tell us your story in the comment below!

What will we see during the Verizon iPhone announcement event? Just a regular old iPhone but with a CDMA radio? A white iPhone? An LTE iPhone? A world iPhone? Steve Jobs on stage saying Apple is re-re-revolutionizing the Phone?

Vote in the the poll up top and give us your full predictions below!

Now that it looks like the Verizon iPhone will be announced, next Tuesday, 11-01-11 we are curious if any of you will be making the big switch? If so what will you be switching from? An AT&T iPhone, a Verizon Android, Palm, or BlackBerry phone, or something else? Will it depend on the plans Verizon chooses to offer? On the release date? What will make you decide?

Vote up in the poll and give us the details in the comments below!

The 2010 TiPb Awards are underway and right now it’s time to vote on your favorite iOS device of the year.

Sure this might seem obvious but 2010 saw the introduction of the iPhone 4 with Retina Display and FaceTime, and also the debut of the iPad with a new, bigger screen and bigger apps. Add in an all new Apple TV and iPod touch, the cheapy 8GB iPhone 3GS, and the iOS-simulating iPod nano and we could have a race.

There can only be one 2010 TiPb Award winner so choose your favorite in the pole above and then let us know why you chose the favorite you did in comments below.

• iPad [Review]
• iPhone 4 [Review]
• iPhone 3GS (2010) [Review]
• iPod touch (2010) [Review]
• Apple TV (2010) [Review]
• iPod nano (simulated) [Review]

Ready, set, vote!

We tested out iPhone 3G on the original GM release of iOS 4.2 and performance seemed far better than the dismal results on iOS 4 though still not as snappy as iOS 3.1.3. Now that you’ve had your hands on it for a week we were wondering how it performed for you? If iOS 3.1.3 was great and iOS 4 was all but unusable, where does iOS 4.2 fit along the curve? Is it a breakthrough or still a deal breaker?

Vote up in the poll and leave your comments down below!

With one of the biggest sales days of the year almost upon us I began to think about the iPhone and iPad App Store and whether low price points encouraged consistent buying or frequent sales trained shoppers to always wait for sales?

Do you always buy the latest, greatest apps and games the minute they come out, eager to get right into them and seldom phased by prices that are about the same as a latte or hamburger? Or do you think pretty much every app with drop in price after a few weeks or months, or have a seasonal sale, so why bother paying more?

Does the awesomeness of the app sway your decision making at all? If it’s the hottest game or latest social craze do you jump on it immediately, but if you’re not sure you really want it do you wait for a sale so you can try it out for less?

Does the price cause you to either shop now or wait, with $0.99 being a no-brainer impulse buy but $9.99 lead you to consider the decision and timing more?

Or is it a mix, depending on mood and moment, how bored you are vs. how cash strapped, big brands vs. unknown indies, what your friends recommend or Apple or the blogs give a spotlight to? Does Angry Birds get your cash right away but Mildly Disgruntled Vermin have to wait for 50%?

Vote up in the poll above and let me know your thoughts in the comments below.

The 2010 TiPb Awards are underway and it’s time to vote on all your favorite social iPhone/iPad game of the year. You know what we’re talking about. The ones where you pwn — er, share with — your friends. Where you try to oust them, out grow them, out shoot them, out build them, or just out spell them.

iPhone or iPad, regular, HD version, or universal binary, there are tons of candidates but there can only be one 2010 TiPb Award winner, so vote up in the pole above and then let us know why you chose the favorite you did in comments below. (And if you don’t see your favorite here, add it as a write-in as well!)

• Archetype [iTunes link]
• Modern Combat 2: Black Pegasus [iTunes link]
• NOVA [iTunes link]
• Resident Evil 4 [iTunes link]
• Splinter Cell Conviction [iTunes link]

Ready, set, vote!

Did you update to iOS 4.2 (4.2.1) yet? Will you? I know some of us were hitting update every minute on the minute, wanting to grab the new OS the moment it was available. I’m sure others will do it the very next time they’re plugged into iTunes. If you haven’t done it yet, are you waiting on the iOS 4.2 Jailbreak, or are you just not going to do it?

Give us your current status in the poll up top and let us know why — or why not — in the comments below.

• Updating to iOS 4.2? – what you need to know
• Jailbreaking iOS 4.2.1 – what you need to know
• iOS 4.2 problems and bugs

What do you think about the Beatles finally being on iTunes? Is the announcement historic or did the Apple.com hype leave you expecting more? You know the drill, vote in the poll above and vent in the comments below!

We’re just over an hour away TiPb nation, so this is your last chance to try and predict Apple’s big iTunes announcement today. I’ve made my guess, so what’s yours? Will it be epic or will it end with “bazinga” ?

Vote in the poll above and give us the reasons why in the comments below.

The 2010 TiPb Awards are underway and it’s time to vote on all your favorite social iPhone/iPad game of the year. You know what we’re talking about. The ones where you pwn — er, share with — your friends. Where you try to oust them, out grow them, out shoot them, out build them, or just out spell them.

iPhone or iPad, regular, HD version, or universal binary, there are tons of candidates but there can only be one 2010 TiPb Award winner, so vote up in the pole above and then let us know why you chose the favorite you did in comments below. (And if you don’t see your favorite here, add it as a write-in as well!)

• Farmville [iTunes link]
• Foursquare [iTunes link]
• NOVA [iTunes link]
• We Rule [iTunes link]
• Words with Friends [iTunes link]

Ready, set, vote!

The 2010 TiPb Awards are underway and it’s time to vote on all your favorites. This time it’s for your favorite new iPhone/iPad feature of the year.

This year we have a lot to choose from. iOS 4 brought tons of functionality and iPad, iPhone 4, and iPod touch 4 made them shine, but there can only be one 2010 TiPb Readers Choice Award winner! Choose your favorite in the pole above and then let us know why you chose the favorite you did in comments below. (And if you don’t see your favorite here, add it as a write-in as well!)

• AirPlay
• FaceTime
• Folders
• Game Center
• Multitasking
• Retina Display

Ready, set, vote!

The 2010 TiPb Awards have begun and it’s time to vote on all your favorites. This time it’s for your favorite iPhone/iPad protective case of the year. You know what we mean. The full plate armor or kevlar vest. The case you go to when you absolutely, positively can’t afford to get your iPhone or iPad damaged.

With the debut of the iPad and the all new form factor of iPhone 4, there are lots of new cases vying for your vote, but there can only be one 2010 TiPb Award winner! Choose your favorite in the pole above and then let us know why you chose the favorite you did in comments below. (And if you don’t see your favorite here, add it as a write-in as well!)

• Case-Mate Hybrid Tough (iPhone / iPad)
• iLuv Durable Ultra-Thin (iPhone / iPad)
• Incipio Destroyer (iPhone / iPad)
• Otterbox Defender (iPhone /iPad)
• Speck Candyshell (iPhone / iPad)

Ready, set, vote!

The 2010 TiPb Awards have begun and it’s time to vote on all your favorites. This time it’s for your favorite addictive iPhone/iPad game of the year. You know the type, you get it, you download it, you start to play it, you can’t stop. You don’t eat. You don’t sleep. You. Just. Can’t. Stop.

iPhone or iPad, regular, HD version, or universal binary, there are tons of candidates but there can only be one 2010 TiPb Award winner, so vote up in the pole above and then let us know why you chose the favorite you did in comments below. (And if you don’t see your favorite here, add it as a write-in as well!)

• Angry Birds [iTunes link]
• Cut the Rope [iTunes link]
• Fruit Ninja [iTunes link]
• Plants vs Zombies [iTunes link]
• Trainyard [iTunes link]

Ready, set, vote!

It’s now officially November, the month when Apple and Steve Jobs said iOS 4.2 for iPad and iPhone would arrive. But just exactly when in November will they get here? This week? Next week? Week after? November 30, 11:59pm Cupertino Time?

Should the take their time to get it right, or should they get it our right now? Vote in the poll above and give us your thoughts in the comments below!

Apple’s Back to the Mac October 2010 special event is tomorrow, and we want to know what you think Steve Jobs and company will announce?

The invitation betrays Mac OS X 10.7 Lion, but what about iLife ’11 and iWork ’11? What about FaceTime for Mac… and for Windows? A new MacBook Air is the hot rumor, is there any chance it could have a multitouch screen, and iOS layer instead of Dashboard and Front Row?

Could the elusive white iPhone get a mention? And what about the device of mass destruction, the extinction level announcement — the Verizon iPhone? Could Apple want to tease that before the holidays?

Give us your votes in the poll above and share your predictions in the comments below.

While we’re still waiting on the white iPhone 4, and avoiding the annual holiday (PRODUCT) red iPhone rumors, we got to wondering — if Apple did produce multi-color, “nanochromatic” versions of iPhone, which color would you buy?

Would you stick with black or would you crazy with color? Would you prefer Apple back the color into the iPhone or do you prefer being able to get different colored cases to switch things up all on your own?

Give us your top color pick in the poll up top and tell us why in the comments below!

[Tip of the hat to CrackBerry.com for the inspiration]

I’m curious as to just which iPhone exactly TiPb readers are rocking these days. Have a lot of you upgraded to iPhone 4? Is iPhone 3GS the most common? How many find iPhone 3G or even the original iPhone 2G perfect for their needs? And if you don’t have an iPhone, which alternate iOS device are you using the most, iPod touch or iPad? And if you have multiple iPhones or iOS devices, just let us know the one you use the most, your daily driver.

Vote up in the poll above and then give us the details in the comments below!

Does the iPhone’s 3.5-inch screen ever make you wish for something bigger? With 3.7-inch, 4-inch, and 4.3-inch devices all the rage on other platforms these days, do you want Apple to announce a larger form factor for iPhone 5?

At 960×640 they have the pixels to scale, even if it would reduce density to do so. If it wasn’t Retina Display, but was Big Display, would that be better? A larger screen means it’s easier to read, easier to tap buttons, but harder to fit in your pocket (or hand if you’re dainty).

Tell us your preference in the poll above and give us the details in the comments below.

iPod touch (2010) is in stores, arriving as ordered, and we’ve posted up our full iPod touch (2010) review — but did you get one? Will you be getting one?

Some people simply must have every new iOS device that Apple ships, and Steve had them at “boom!”. Others will get it at some point to use for travel or as a remote, a device to develop with or hack on. Still others prefer Android or BlackBerry for a Smartphone but want a latest gen iOS device on the side for a little App Store and gaming action. Still others already have an iPhone, iPad, or previous generation iPod touch and feel no need to add to, or upgrade, their gear. (And some just hate everything with a little bitten Apple on it).

Where do you fit in? Let us know in the poll above and tell us your thoughts in the comments below.

iOS 4.1 went live just a short time ago and we’re eager to hear if you updated or if you’re waiting, and if you did update, whether or not the update fixed any issues you had with iOS 4.

In addition to all the new features like Game Center and HDR photography, iOS 4.1 also claims to fix proximity sensor, Bluetooth, and iPhone 3G performance bugs.

Let us know in the poll up top, and give us the details in the comments below!

Well, another Apple event is in the books and this one saw iOS 4.1 for iPhone and iPod touch, iOS 4.2 for iPad, iOS-powered iPod nano and Apple TV (no apps, though!), iTunes 10 with Ping, and more.

What did you like about it? What didn’t you like? Give us your quick impression in the poll above and your overall thoughts in the comments below!

Steve Jobs is once again about to set sneaker to stage for the iOS-packed annual special music event, and expectations are running the gamut from iPod touch 4 with Retina Display and FaceTime to a tiny touch iPod nano to an all new Apple iTV, from iOS 4.1 for iPhone to iOS 4.x for iPad, from a new iLife to iTunes X, from $0.99 TV rentals to full on iTunes.com streaming.

We won’t get everything we want, and we may get “one more thing” we didn’t expect, but take your best guess in the poll above and hedge in the comments below.

We’re less than a week away!

While a lot of controversy has surrounded Facebook and privacy, Google has lately made many wonder if they could still be trusted with our private, personal info as well.

Personally, I’m all in with Google and I don’t see that changing unless/until something truly cataclysmic happens. Dieter told me to sell my soul and enjoy all the free, fantastic services and sell it I did. I’ve significantly curtailed what I share over Facebook in light of their privacy stumbles, yet I’ve continued to go full steam ahead with Google.

Still it’s inarguable that the young, upstart, idealistic company many of us geeks knew and loved has been changing as of late. It’s almost like the hippie, carefree days of Larry and Sergei are slowly morphing into the conservative, corporate era of Schmidt right before our eyes.

Wi-Fi data retentions, DoubleClick, Verizon net-neutrality deals, Buzz’s early privacy problems, the whole China fiasco, Android returning control to the carriers, and odd, almost allegorical comments from their CEO about changing names as we come of age to distance ourselves from the indiscretions of youth… they give pause.

It’s also undeniable that, while Google was once an unassailable darling of the tech media, that’s been slowly changing as well, especially in light of the above controversies.

iPhone and iPad owners typically use tons of Google services. Their maps and search and videos are built in. Their Gmail, Google Calendar, and Google Contacts are only getting more popular and better on iPhone and iPad. In return Google knows what web pages we go to, what we search for and click on, who our friends and associates are, where we are, and what we’re doing. Every time we use the internet in almost any way, Google tracks us, anonymizes and aggregates us, and uses our data to advertise to us.

When “don’t be evil” seemed a much more heartfelt motto, most of us didn’t seem to care. How about now?

Kyle over at sibling site Android Central took issue with a recent story about iPhone owners getting more sex than Android or BlackBerry owners (go figure). To illustrate his point he spun a story about Droids taking over the college dorms and then posted up a little poll.

Well, two can play at that game, Kyle. Anyone here seeing more Droids than iPhones out in the dating world?

AC got just over 5000 votes. Let’s see if we can beat them there to. Tell your friends. Share this link. Bring the votes!

Would you switch from AT&T to a Verizon iPhone 4 if such a mythical beastie ever proves real? You’d gain a different network footprint, which could provide better voice and data coverage in your area, but you’d also lose simultaneous voice and data as EVDO Rev A currently can’t walk and chew that gum at the same time.

You’d also trade AT&T customer service for Verizon customer service, which could be good or bad depending on your experience. Likewise, while AT&T has received tons of flack for their network, they’ve also had 3+ years of experience handling massive amounts of iPhone traffic, something Verizon may also struggle with.

We’ve already asked if Verizon Droid owners would switch to a Verizon iPhone, so fair’s fair, if you’re an AT&T iPhone owner, would you switch to Verizon iPhone? Simple answer in the poll up top, and tell us why or why not in the comments.

Here’s our question — if an iPhone 4 really does show up on Verizon in January 2011, how many Droid users would switch to iPhone?

Original Droid, Droid Eris, Droid Incredible, Droid X, upcoming Droid 2. The whole Moto/HTC/Lucasfilm line. Vote in the poll above and give us the details in comments!

Simple poll for a simple question — Does the recent DMCA exception make you more likely to Jailbreak?

Were you worried about the legality before and it was enough to make you hold off? Were you just not aware of Jailbreak before it the media spotlight hit it? Are you still concerned about Jailbreak slowing down or messing up something on your device, or voiding your warranty? Or are you just not interested in Jailbreak at all?

Vote up top, give us the details down below.

Which way do you prefer to type on your iPhone? There are a lot of options — horizontal or vertical keyboard, two hands and double thumbs or one hand holding and the other poking. If you’re using iPhone 4, have you changed the way you type to avoid covering the lower left hand corner?

Let us know your primary or preferred typing method in the poll above, and if you switch things up for certain apps, or have any special tricks to make the text fly, let us know the details in the comments.

We’re getting flooded with email and tweets about Apple automagic bumper case refunds. Looks like Apple is shifting into high gear and notifications are going out fast and furiously. Apple also launched an app today for those of you who don’t yet have bumpers so you can go claim one.

Let us know what your current bumper case status is in the poll above, and give us the details in the comments. Overall, how’s it going for you? Is Apple handling this right? Is antennagate pretty much over for ya?

Early adopters, you’ve had your iPhone 4 for about a week now so how’s it holding up for you? There are some amazing new features, some solid app updates to take advantage of them, and a few bugs to boot. Give us you quick overall take-to-date in the poll up top, and your one-week-later review in the comments below.

How’s Hulu plus for iPhone and iPad working for you? Have you given it a whirl, do you know where you stand yet? Give us your vote in the poll up top and then tell us your impressions so far in the comments.

Ready to give up cable? Ready to kick media executives until they do it better?

If you’re in the US and haven’t grabbed it yet, what are you waiting for?

[Hulu plus on iTunes]

iPhone 4 is the first redesign to hit the iPhone since 2008′s iPhone 3G. Back then some users complained it was a ploy to make them buy new accessories. When iPhone 3GS landed in 2009 with essentially the same design, other users complained Apple was stale and unimaginative.

Cardfan in our forums says he wishes Apple had kept the iPhone 3GS/iPhone 3G design for another year as it’s more comfortable to hold and less nerve-wracking to put down.

Personally I like the new look. It’s all back-to-the-future, Leica industrial and Dieter Rams chic. The glass is a concern but it also seems more fully realized and more in keeping with Apple’s product line in general.

So what do you think? Design win or fail? Vote in the poll and give us the details in the comments.

Some of you have had your iPhone 4 over the weekend now, plenty of time to try out Apple’s “one more thing” for 2010 — FaceTime.

Have you made any FaceTime video calls? Many? Can you see this becoming part of your routine? Is it a fad destined only for geeks and sexting 2.0 er… long distance romances? Is it the next great step in communications or just the next great scandal for some poor hollywood star?

You know the drill — weigh in above, give us the details below.

Apple has finally released iPhone 4 — at least in the first wave of countries — and many of you pre-ordered for delivery or reserved and stood in line just to get yours. I’m curious as to how many?

Anyone not get an iPhone 4? If not, was it because you couldn’t or you chose not to?

Vote in the poll up top and let us know which iPhone 4 you got, or why you didn’t get an iPhone 4, in the comments below.