How to Activate the Best Secret Feature In Your iPad

Your new iPad—and old too, with iOS 4.3—has a new hidden feature that Apple doesn't want you to know about: Extra multi-touch gestures that completely changes the iPad experience—for the best.

New iPad hidden gestures

• Swipe four or five fingers—to the left or to the right—to navigate through open applications.

• Swipe four fingers up to access the running apps tray and playback buttons, including Airplay controls.

• Pinch with all your fingers to go to the home screen from any app, without touching your home button.

For example: With a simple hand swipe, to the left or right, you will be able to navigate through running applications. Once you try it, you won't be able to go back.

Sadly, Apple doesn't want you to use these features yet. They could have included the switch in the general preferences for everyone, but right now this is only available for developers, so they can give feedback.

It will "only" cost you $5

The good news is that you can activate them and it's really easy: It only takes one click. The bad news is that you have to pay an extra $5 for Xcode 4, in the Mac OS X App Store.

Here's how to do it:

1. Purchase Xcode 4 and install it.

2. Launch Xcode and connect your iPad to your computer. It will appear in the Xcode's devices list.

3. Click on the "Use for development" button.

4. When it asks you to enter your iOS developer credentials in the dialog box, click cancel. It will give you an error. Disregard it.

5. Once the developer mode activation is completed, go to your iPad general preferences menu and turn on the new multi-gestures.

That's all. Your $5 multitasking gestures are ready to be enjoyed. You will soon discover that it was totally worth the $5.

Alternatively, you can wait until the upcoming iOS 4.3 jailbreak, which will allow you to activate this feature for free with a simple app. Hopefully, it will come out soon. 

Source: Gizmodo

Balloons float real-life 'Up' house near LA

Ever wished real life could be more like a Pixar movie? It was for a little while on Saturday, as a team of awesomizers managed to successfully lift a house into the air, "Up" style, using a cluster of brightly colored balloons.


The adorable 2,000-pound, 16x16-foot yellow house took to the skies with the aid of 300 weather balloons that grow to 8 feet tall when inflated. From top to bottom, the entire aircraft measured 10 stories high and reached an altitude of 10,000 feet. It flew for about an hour at dawn from a private airfield east of Los Angeles. Oh, and there were people (of the non-animated variety) aboard.

The floating feat sets a world record for the largest balloon cluster flight ever attempted, according to the National Geographic Channel. It filmed the flight as part of a new series called "How Hard Can It Be?" that's set to debut in the fall.

And if you're wondering how hard it can be to set a balloon-supported house aloft, well, "it was pretty hard," Paul Carson, the show's host, notes in the behind-the-scenes video below. "It was very difficult actually."

Volunteers in California's High Desert prepare the house for liftoff Saturday

Pixar's 10th animated feature focuses on the fate of 78-year-old Carl Fredricksen, his house, and a wayward 8-year-old who happens by one day. Launched into the sky together by a cluster of balloons tied to the roof of Fredricksen's house, the two set off on what could safely be called a high-flying adventure.

A view of the 300 balloons from the inside of the little house.

It took the National Geographic team of scientists, engineers, and balloon pilots two weeks to pull off their version of the "Up" house--from the initial assignment through planning, building, and rigging the house and setting it aloft in the clear skies to cheers down below.

Carson picks "incredulity" to describe the dominant feeling among the crew as the house made its way skyward. As for us, "grinning like dopes" would about cover it.

Source: CNet via National Geographic

DIY Human-Powered Exoskeleton Makes You Bigger, Stronger, Funnier

Skeletonics Exoskeleton

Skeletonics, a six-month-old Japanese student project, has resulted in an exoskeleton made of plastic and metal that's surprisingly dexterous and powered solely by the human embedded inside. As a bonus, the promo video looks something like a live-action Sonic the Hedgehog cutscene.


As the Skeletonics suit is unpowered, it doesn't grant any kind of crazy strength or Iron-Man-esque powers--the Skeletonics is mostly designed to extend the reach of a human's arms and legs, while keeping freedom of movement and dexterity. It looks like it succeeds at that, packing both working fingers that are delicate enough to hand candy to a child and spring-loaded legs that are capable of (hilariously) chasing a criminal through an underpass.

There's some kind of weapon-ish thing embedded in the right arm--without any Japanese, I'm not totally sure what's going on in there, but it looks like a water cannon of some sort, which keeps with the Gundam-y feel of the rest of the exoskeleton. Anyway, the video starts to get really great around the 4:00 mark, when the manufacturing clips give way to guitar-rock-scored clips of the suit in action. Check it out:

Source: Popsci