The new iPad sports a 9.7-inch, 2048x1536, 264ppi Retina display, which is twice as dense as the iPad 2's equal sized, 1024x768, 132ppi screen but packs four (4) times as many pixels into the same space. That's exactly what it sounds like -- the new iPad has 4 pixels in the same space the iPad 2 had a 1 pixel.

Icon on an iPad 2 display

Icon on a new iPad Retina display

Theoretically, that means the pixels on the new iPad display are so small they're difficult if not impossible to discern with the naked eye during general use. Hence the marketing name "Retina". It's roughly the same effect as when you compare cheap newspaper or old comic print next to a high end glossy magazine. The information becomes so densely packed that the mechanics disappear and only the content remains. Everything looks sharper, crisper, more solid, and more real. If you're not a trained typographer, photographer, or designer, it's still something your eyes and brains will appreciate even if you can't articulate it.

Instapaper text on an iPad 2 display

Instapaper text on a new iPad Retina display

Now there is one important caveat: For things like fonts and built-in user interface controls, Apple's iOS will handle the scaling automatically. For bitmap graphics, like PNG files in icons or custom user interfaces, designers have to create the new, higher density artwork or iOS will simply render the same lower-resolution image using more pixels. (Think watching standard definition video on a high definition screen).

A regular graphic (1x) will simply be rendered with more (4) pixels per point on a Retina display, unless designers create proper Retina (2x) resources

Still, the original iPad was amazing when it first launched. I called it the iPhone gone IMAX and that's exactly what it felt like. The iPhone's then 480x320 screen just seemed small and cramped by comparison. But then Apple introduced the iPhone 4 and the 960x640 Retina display and everything changed. Suddenly small was sharp and cramped was clear, and while the iPad and even the iPad 2 was still bigger, the display wasn't better. It was quantity but not quality. Seeing and reading and watching on the iPhone was harder but suddenly more relaxing and enjoyable.

Safari text on an iPad 2 screen

Safari text on an new iPad Retina display

Some people have used the metaphor of putting on glasses -- of the Retina screen being so good it's like they can focus for the first time. That's not entirely it though. I have a feeling the Retina display goes deeper than that. It's good enough your brain no longer has to work at filling in details anymore and it can just relax and enjoy. It can just see and read and watch.

Now the iPad has it as well. Once again it's bigger and better. It's not small but it is sharp, not cramped but it is clear.

iBooks text on an iPad 2 display

iBooks text on a new iPad Retina display

For me, it will be hard if not uncomfortable to go back. It will be rough and bumpy and almost clumsy. And given how good the iPad 2 display is, that's a hell of a thing to say. (I'm typing this on a MacBook Air, which has a fairly dense display in its own right, and now I find myself acutely and annoyingly aware of the sub-pixel anti-aliasing.)

The difference between the new iPad and the iPad 2's display isn't as much as an old Standard Definition (SD) TV and a 1080p High Definition (HD) display, because for most people that involved the simultaneously jump from CRT tubes to LCD or Plasma flat panels. But it's more than the jump from 720p to 1080p display. It's like going from iTunes SD movies to iTunes HD movies. Everything is smoother but more textured, cleaner but more detailed.

I remember watching Lord of the Rings in HD for the first time, amazed at how much more there was to see. That's the same feeling I have with the new iPad, watching the Avengers trailer in 1080p (in a window, since 1920x1080 doesn't even fill the new iPad display).

iBooks image on an iPad 2 display

iBooks image on a new iPad Retina display

It's not the Martix's "welcome to the real world" or even Vader's "with my own eyes", but for anyone who cares about image quality, typography, iconography, art, or HD video, it's very much in that geeky vein.

Since it's harder to show the difference than it is to just write about it, I put a macro lens on my iPhone 4S and took some close up images to try an highlight just what that many pixels look like. Holding the new iPad at a distance, you don't see the pixels, of course. You just see the content. That's the whole point.

Apple has made the best panel I've ever seen, and while not everyone will appreciate it, or even care about it, that takes nothing away from the achievement.

I've jotted down some more thoughts in the new iPad forum, so jump in there and let me know what your experience has been with the Retina display.

Ever wondered whether or not you can text message multiple photos at once? The answer is yes. Sending them individually is annoying and time consuming. And why when your iPhone easily allows you to send multiple photos at once? This will not only work for text messaging but for e-mailing photos as well.

Although you can send multiple images at once there is still a few caveats that we've found. The first being that you can only send a certain number at once. In most instances, this seems to be five. It also may depend on the size of the photos you're trying to send. You can also only send one video message at a time (for now anyways).

To text multiple images at once, follow these easy steps -

1. Open your Photos app and hit the arrow in the upper right hand corner.
2. Now you should see a few new options along the bottom - Share, Copy, Add To (only in iOS 5), and Delete
3. Tap on the photos you would like to SMS and then click Share. If you're tapping on too many, the Share option will be greyed out.

4. Once you've tapped Share you'll be presented with a few options. Tap Message to send them via text.

5. Your message app will automatically open. Just type in the name of the person you want to send them to and click Send.

That's it! All your photos will be sent to the recipient. They will receive them as separate messages but this method seems to be a lot easier than tapping each photo individually.

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AT&T has confirmed to Engadget that, as of August 21, they'll be removing all but the unlimited SMS/Text messaging plans:

"We regularly evaluate our offers and are making some adjustments to our messaging lineup.

Starting August 21, we're streamlining our text messaging plans for new customers and will offer an unlimited plan for individuals for $20 per month and an unlimited plan for families of up to five lines for $30 per month. The vast majority of our messaging customers prefer unlimited plans and with text messaging growth stronger than ever, that number continues to climb among new customers. Existing customers don't have to change any messaging plan they have today, even when changing handsets."

With iOS 5 and iMessage likely set for an early October launch, AT&T was facing a world where Apple provided an easy, integrated way to seamlessly exchange free instant messages inside the same Messages app that hosts costly, carrier-based SMS/text messages. Arguably, a subscriber who's friends and family were also mostly on iPhones could have downgraded to a lower plan to save some money.

Now that can't happen. It's unlimited or nothing. And as MG Siegler points out on Paris Lemon, it's quite a coincidence.

SMS is huge money for carriers considering the data used is next to nothing and the price is stratospheric, and iMessage was a threat to that traditional, exorbitant revenue stream.

Now we're just left to wonder which other carriers will follow suit.

[Engadget, ParisLemon]

We're getting tons and tons of questions about iOS 5's new iMessage, how it works, where it sends to, and how to avoid sending to the wrong person or device. Apple hasn't given out a lot of details about it yet, but based on what they showed on the keynote and how they've previously handled user and device ID, we can make some guesses. Now if it looks a little complex... well, it is. But we'll do our best to lay it all out for you, after the break!

So here's how iMessage works, as best as we can figure out at the moment.

How do you enable iMessage?

You can enable iMessage in Settings on iPhone, iPod touch, and iPad. It's similar to how FaceTime is setup.

1. Launch Settings
2. Tap on Messages
3. Tap on Use Your Apple ID for iMessage
4. Sign In with an Apple ID (MobileMe, iTunes, etc.) or Create New Account
5. Enter the email address you want to use for iMessage
6. Apple will verify the address, if it's not already registered, you'll get an email asking you to verify it.
7. You can Add Another Email address, or several, if you want.

If you're on an iPhone, once you're logged into iMessage your iPhone phone number will also be registered with iMessage and anything sent to it from another iOS 5 device will prioritize iMessage over SMS.

Does iMessage count as text or data?

1. Messages SMS still count against your total number of SMS/MMS in your package (if you have a limit)
2. iMessages are sent over data, not SMS/MMS so they count against your data cap (if you have one).

How does Message decide between sending SMS and iMessages?

When you enter a contact into Messages, you'll see all the available phone number and email accounts for that contact.

1. If they have an iMessage-registered email address, you'll see a little blue word bubble to the right of the address.
2. If they have an iMessage-registered iPhone phone number (their iPhone is logged into iMessage), you'll see a little blue word bubble to the right of the address.
3. If they have a non-iMessage phone number (for example, they're logged out or they're using a BlackBerry), you won't see any bubble.

When you pick a contact, it starts off gray and Messages will process it for a second.

1. If it determines it can send via iMessage, the contact turns blue and the text entry box says "iMessage".
2. If it determines it can send via SMS/MMS, the contact turns green and the text entry box says "Text Message".
3. If it determine it can't send via either iMessage or SMS/MMS, the contact turns red and shows an exclamation mark.

So which device sends what type of message then?

1. If you're on an iPhone and all you have is the other person's mobile number, Messages will send via SMS
2. If you're on an iPad or iPod touch and all you have is the other person's mobile number, Messages will not be able to send (you'll get a red exclamation mark in the contact name), because iPod touch and iPad can't do SMS.
3. If you're on an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad and all you have the other person's iMessages ID, Messages will send via iMessage

What if I have an iPod touch or iPad, but my phone is non-Apple? (Feature, BlackBerry, Android, etc.) Will my iOS device intercept my SMS?

No. Remember, when you enter in a contact, you can see all their associated numbers and email addresses.

1. If the person sends to your iMessage email address, it will show up on your iPod touch or iPad.
2. If the person sends to your mobile phone number, it will show up on your mobile phone.

If we share the same iTunes account, how do I make sure my husband/wife/kids don't get my iMessages

Luckily, Apple's fragmented ID system works in your favor. Just like FaceTime, iMessage email addresses are separate and independent from iTunes logins.

1. Choose the same address for multiple devices if they're all yours and you want to get your iMessages on all of them.
2. Choose different addresses for multiple devices if they belong to different members of the family and you want them each to get their own iMessages.

You can use any email account you validate with Apple (we even know some people using @crackberry.com accounts. Shh. No names.)

How do I see/change the address associated with iMessage?

1. Launch Settings
2. Tap Messages
3. Scroll down and tap on Receive At
4. Tap Add Another Email to add an addition email account
5. Tap an existing email account, the tap Remove This Email to remove an account

Just go through each of your devices and assign them the same email, or different emails, as suits your individual or family needs.

Update: Thanks reader x for the screen shots!

Any other questions?

Again, we won't know for sure until iOS 5 ships this fall and Apple officially explains how iMessage works, but this is our best guesses based on available information. If you have any corrections, or other questions, let us know!

A rather interesting bug has been discovered: emoji sent over SMS between Verizon iPhone and AT&T iPhones is not recognized both ways - Verizon can receive from AT&T, but not vice versa.

When a Verizon iPhone texts emoji to an AT&T iPhone, all that is received is a bunch of random characters. However, a Verizon iPhone will recognize emoji sent from an AT&T iPhone with no problem. This inability to interpret emoji is only an issue with the messages app, however. An AT&T iPhone can recognize emoji elsewhere, like email and twitter, just fine - even if the emoji was sent from a Verizon iPhone.

Anyone else run into this problem?

New to the iPhone and curious how to change your text message (SMS) tone? Apple is not overly generous when it comes to customizing alert tones on your iPhone. Ring tones are completely customizable but email tones can't be changed from the default unless you jailbreak. Text messages are somewhere in the middle -- you can personalize them but not customize them (yet). Read on after the break to find out how!.

Changing the default SMS/Text tone

To change the tone you hear for all incoming texts:

1. Open Settings
2. Tap Sounds
3. Tap Text Tone
4. Choose new tone (A preview of the tone will play when tapped)

That’s all there is to it. All new text messages will trigger the new tone when they arrive.

Changing an individual contact's SMS/Text tone

To set a personalized SMS/Text tone for an individual contact:

1. Launch the Contacts app (or Phone app and choose the Contacts tab)
2. Scroll to the contact you want to personalize
3. Tap on their name to bring up their contact page
4. Tap edit
5. Tap on Text Tone
6. Choose a new tone

Now, when that specific contact texts you, you'll get their specific tone. It's a great way to differentiate family from friends, for example.

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Wondering how to protect your privacy and stop iPhone SMS popups from revealing the contents of your text message? It's not set that way by default, which is pretty annoying, but it can be changed. We'll show you how, after the break!

Special thanks to Freiteez from the forums for this tip!

Here's how to make your iPhone text messages more discreet:

• From the home screen, tap on the Settings app
• Tap on Messages
• Find where it says "show preview"
• Switch to off.

Now when you get a text message, instead of showing the actual contents of the message, it will only say "text message". (Note: the name of the sender will still be displayed.)

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

If you are looking for a simple text editor with a clean, professional interface, PlainText might just be for you. Hog Bay Software has created a quaint little document app that goes out of it's way to do simple editing. The main benefit this app has over the built-in Notes app is that you can define and create folders; the level of editing is the same.

The first thing you will notice about PlainText is its icon. It is the shape of a formatting mark on a typical word processor. Once you open Plain Text you see a list of documents on the left and the first available document open on the right. To begin typing, tap anywhere in the document to begin. If you want a full screen typing experience, there is a full screen icon in the lower right. Tap to make full screen, tap again to bring back the document list.

There are no formatting options in PlainText... it is just that, plain text. What does separate this app from say, the Notes app on iPad is the ability to add documents to folders. Tap the new folder icon and you can create as many folders as you would like. However, you should be aware that you can't move a document from to a folder after the document it created; you must create the file in the folder you want. I am sure this will be an enhancement in an upcoming release.

The next question you are asking yourself is how do I get these notes to my iPhone, after all it's a universal app. The easiest way to use Dropbox. You can set this up directly from Settings in the app and you are ready to rock. However, if you want to use another tool, try PadSync.

Overall I like the simple and great aesthetic nature of the application. There are just a couple of quibbles that are preventing it form stardom. One of the big ones for me is the inability to move files between folders. Perhaps it's there and I am missing it, but I sure couldn't find it. Additional features are planned (here is a list from the next beta as of this writing) and it has been submitted to the App Store. I would check the blog regularly for updates and suggestions.

[Free- iTunes Link]

Pros

• Free!
• Create folders
• Universal App

Cons

• Only syncs with DropBox (where is MobileMe?)
• Can use app PadSync http://ecamm.com/mac/padsync/ to get data from Mac to iPad
• Can't move a document to an existing folder

Now this is not something new here, but AT&T and American Idol are at it again. The past few days AT&T has been sending out text messages advertising one of Fox's TV shows. How do I know? I got one of them... Of course this message does not cost the recipient anything and they could easily opt out by responding to the spam with a simple "stop". Even so, it still has the ability to be bothersome to AT&T customers.

Like I mentioned above this is not something new, I remember getting a similar text message last year when American Idol started. It would become a nuisance if it started to get out of control but a single text, I can live with that. Now imagine this -- all TV shows start advertising this way, then add movies, random products, etc... Sounds like this has the possibility to become very annoying sometime in the future.

If what I just mentioned turned out to be the case, would you be able to opt out all together? Would you have to opt out on individual advertisements as they are received? We want to know what is your, our readers, take on all of this?

Sound off in the comments!