Step 1 :

• Create a folder called Pwnage on your desktop. This folder will be containing two things, the Pwnage tool 4.3.2 and the iPad firmware version 4.3.2
• The Pwnage tool can be downloaded from here.
• The iPad firmware can be downloaded from here.

Note : It is recommended to download the IPSW file with firefox as safari will often auto extract it.

Step 2 :

• To mount the PwnageTool, simply double click it and then drag the icon into the Pwnage folder.
• Now from the folder, double click to launch the PwnageTool application.
• Click on OK if a warning message pops up.

Step 3 :

• From the top menu bar, select Expert Mode.

Step 4 :

• Now select your iPad.
• A Check mark will appear over the image of the phone.
• Click on the blue arrow button at the bottom right to continue.

Step 5 :

• A Browse for IPSW page appears.
• Click on the Browse for IPSW… button.
• Now select your firmware from the Pwnage folder that you created and click on the Open button.

Step 6 :

• A menu with multiple choices appears.
• Click on General followed by the blue arrow button at the bottom right.
• The General settings will allow you to decide the partition size. Here you can choose either Activate the phone which will be a non official activation or Enable baseband update that will allow you to modify the baseband.
• Once done with the settings , click on the blue arrow button to proceed.
• A Cydia settings menu appears that allows you to create custom packages so that you do not have to install them manually later on.
• Click on the Download packages tab.
• Click the Refresh button to display the list of all the available packages.
• Double click the package you wish to download which will then be made available in Select packages tab.
• Under the Select packages tab,  just checkmark the ones you want and click the blue arrow button.
• The Custom packages settings menu appears that displays the listed packages for your custom IPSW.
• Just leave these settings uninterrupted and click on the blue arrow button to continue.

Step 7 :

• The Pwnage process is now ready to start.
• Click on the Build button followed by the blue arrow button to start the process.

Step 8 :

• You will be prompted to save your custom .ipsw file, so save it to the Pwnage folder you created on the desktop.
• Your IPSW is being built, so please allow upto 10 minutes for the process to finish.
• Now you will be asked to enter your administrator password, so do that and click on the OK button.

Step 9 :

• You will now be asked to connect your iPad to the computer.
• Once your device gets detected, PwnageTool will guide you through the rest of the procedure for putting your iPad into DFU mode.
• Press and hold the Power and Home buttons for 10 seconds.
• Now release the Power button but continue holding the Home button for another 10 seconds.
• On entering successfully into DFU mode, PwnageTool will prompt you to launch iTunes.

Step 10 :

• On entering iTunes, hold the Alt/Option key and then click on Restore.

Step 11 :

• Now go to the Pwnage folder on your desktop using the dialog window and select the custom IPSW file that was created followed by clicking on the Choose button.

Step 12 :

• iTunes now restores the firmware on your iPad.
• This procedure may consume upto 10 minutes, but once you are done, you`ll be rebooted into a jailbroken iPad OS 4.3.2.

Happy Jailbreaking… !!

Step 1 : Download these softwares first.

• The PwnageTool for the Mac can be found here.
• The iPad 4.2.1 firmware that can be downloaded from here.
• It is recommended to download the firmware using Firefox since Safari will often auto extract it.

Step 2 :

• Mount the PwnageTool by double clicking it and then drag it to your Pwnage folder.

• Once it is dragged into the folder, double click it to launch the application and click on OK if a warning window pops up.

Step 3 :

• Now select Expert Mode by clicking it from the top menu bar.

Step 4 :

• From the list of devices, select your iPad.
• A check-mark appears over the image indicating your selection.
• Now click on the blue arrow button to continue.

Step 5 :

• A new menu for selecting the IPSW comes. Click on the “Browse for IPSW….” button.

• Now select your firmware from the Pwnage folder and click on Open.

Step 6 :

• Select General from the multiple choice menu followed by clicking the blue arrow button.

• These general settings will allow you to decide the partition size.

• Next, is the Cydia settings menu which allows you to create custom packages so as to avoid the hassles of manual installation later.

• Click on the Download packages tab followed by the refresh button to display the list of available packages.
• Double clicking the packages you want will download them and add them to the Select packages tab.

• Put a check-mark on the packages you want and click on the blue arrow button.

• The Custom Packages Settings menu displays the listed package settings for your custom IPSW. Please leave these settings uninterrupted for now and proceed further by clicking the blue arrow button.

Step 7 :

• The Pwnage process is ready to start.
• Click to select the Build button followed by the blue arrow button to begin the procedure.

Step 8 :

• Save your custom .ipsw file to the Pwnage folder you created on your desktop.

• Your IPSW is now building so please allow up to 10 minutes to get complete.

• You are later on prompted to enter your administrator password, so do it and click on the OK button.

Step 9 :

• Now you will be asked to connect your iPad to the computer once the building procedure is complete.
• On detecting your device, the Pwnage tool will be guiding you through the rest of the procedure to put your iPad into DFU mode.

• Press and hold the Home and Power buttons for 10 seconds.

• Next, release the power button but continue holding the Home button for another 10 seconds.

• On entering in DFU mode, the PwnageTool prompts you to launch the iTunes.

Step 10 :

• On launching iTunes, hold the Alt/Options key and click on Restore.

Step 11 :

• Now navigate to your Pwnage desktop folder from the dialog window and select the custom IPSW that was created followed by clicking the Choose button.

Step 12 :

• iTunes now restores the firmware on your iPad which might consume up to 10 minutes.
• Once this is done, you will be rebooted into the jailbroken iPad OS 4.2.1

Happy jailbreaking once again fellows…!!!

Apparently, the proximity sensor is going to be provided in iPad 2 for an entirely different reason – case lock. The proximity sensor could possibly help the iPad automatically lock itself when an iPad casing is closed and then unlock when opened.

Some users also speculate that such a feature could be useful in future variants of the iPad that may come without the Home button and Sleep/Wake buttons. That however, is purely speculation at this point.

What do you think of this feature? Do you see other use-case scenarios for a proximity sensor on an iPad? Tell us in the comments.

IDC however points out that it has set some criteria to differentiate tablet computers from eReaders which means Windows tablets and Amazon bestsellers like Kindle were not considered “tablets” and hence were not part of the study. IDC says, only electronic devices that measured between 5-14 inches and were equipped with color displays and lightweight operating systems were included in the study.

Despite this, iPad still owns a major share of the market. IDC notes that putting the tablets and eReaders under one umbrella will still keep the iPad on top at 79.5% market share.

Although 2010 was considered the year of the tablets, it is in 2011 that we will be seeing most of the competition. With devices like Motorola Xoom and Blackberry PlayBook on the pipeline, it will be interesting to see how the iPad market share stands one year down the line.

Now there are more details about the features on the next gen iPad. A new set of cases that have been made public by a Chinese accessory manufacturer shows a couple of new features – an SD card slot and a mini DisplayPort jack. The iPad 2 case contains a slot on the rear upper left corner that is possibly to house the SD card. Also, another slot at the center of the top edge is shaped in such a way that it indicates the possible provision for a mini DisplayPort jack.

No word on the authenticity of these pictures. So, we will have to wait for more official word.

A fresh report however notes that the new iPad could come with a display similar to the retina display with “super high resolution“.   The source further claims that the screen will stay at 10 inches and will also feature front as well as rear cameras along with a built in SD slot. We also hear that iPad 2 could come with a dual GSM/CDMA chipset manufactured by Qualcomm which will mean both AT&T and Verizon could carry the iPad simultaneously.

This new chipset manufactured by Qualcomm marks Apple’s migration from its existing chipset manufacturer Infineon for all its mobile devices. Reports also suggest that Apple’s new A5 processor which is said to have blazing fast speeds will be making its way to the iPad 2, but there are no confirmations regarding this as yet.

At present, iPads sold on Verizon stores are Wi-Fi only devices that are packaged with the Mi-Fi to connect to the CDMA network. These upcoming iPad devices will make the use of such extra devices redundant. The CDMA iPads are expected to be priced between $629 and $829 – same as the 3G-enabled iPad and the Verizon iPads that are packaged with Mi-Fi.

No estimated date of arrival has been revealed yet.

Now Dexim, a case design manufacturer has been exhibiting one of their new cases that has been designed for iPad 2. The case has been pretty smartly designed that allows a Bluetooth keyboard to connect to a sleeve that will contain the iPad 2 that will enable users to get their iPad working like a laptop.

With a number of accessory manufacturers producing iPad 2 cases that seem to be built with the rumored new features in place, the credibility of the speculations regarding the iPad 2 design is just getting stronger. What do you think? Check out a snapshot of the exhibited iPad 2 case from Dexim embedded below.

Consequently, a 16GB iPhone 4 will now cost £510 instead of the earlier £499. Also, the entry level iPad – the 16GB Wi-Fi only model – will now cost £439 instead £429. Prices of Apple’s iPod devices too will see an increase. The new starting prices for iPod Touch, iPod Classic, iPod nano and iPod Shuffle will now be £193, £197, £131 and £40 respectively.

According to a note sent to investors, Kuo has claimed that iPad shipments for December amounted close to 1.6 million units that was significantly lower than the 2.1 million units shipped in November this year.

What this has meant is that Amazon Kindle has been able to expand from being a niche player in the segment to becoming a more mass-market player. Kuo points out that shipments of Kindle matched with those of the iPad in December with the Amazon eReader expected to sell as many as 4.5 million units in the first quarter of next year.

Anyway, of interest is the shipment numbers for iPad. Given the February timeline for the launch of iPad 2, we wonder if Apple Stores would start reporting depleting inventory as we head to the new year. Do you see such a thing in your neighborhood store? Tell us in the comments.