Apple’s iOS4.1 will be beaming out to iDevices everywhere this week and landing in the hands of eager new buyers pre-installed on the new iPod touch. The completely free update hasn’t received quite as much attention as the new Apple TV, iPod touch or iPod nano, but most of you probably heard about the major features.

Game Center will finally enter primetime and the iPhone 4 camera can snap HDR photographs with 4.1. Some  smaller features and bug fixes are also right around the corner: head past the break for a comprehensive list, including a few things Apple didn’t harp on during last week’s press event.
 
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We like product leaks as much as the next person, but what we don't like is the blurry, indistinguishable photos that go with them. Is that an iPhone, or a TV remote? Perhaps a chalkboard slate with the Apple logo drawn on? There's really no way to know for sure.

The obvious solution is also the simplest: learn to take better pictures. Automatic modes on photo and video cameras can help, but you could argue they do more harm than good. These cameras may take better pictures, but they're not making us better shooters — there's no feedback to show us how. 

That sounds like a job for artificial intelligence to us.
 
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Google's Android mobile OS is gaining considerable ground on Apple's iOS, according to a recent report from Quantcast. While the iPhone remains the dominant platform in the mobile web market, they're dipping while Android-based phones are seeing considerable growth. According to the report, Android-based mobile web use has increased from under 10% to 25% of the overall market, while iOS-based web use dipped from just under 70% to 56% of the market.  

Here's some context for these numbers, and our thoughts on why this is happening.

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Welcome to the weekly Android Market Roundup. If it's new, or newly updated and noteworthy, you'll find it here. Just scan the QR code next to each app with Barcode Scanner or Google Goggles to head right to the Market. This week we talk about an Android security app, a useful app for a retailer, a hotly anticipated game about displeased avians, monitoring your phone usage, and streaming video to the web. 

Get your phone ready, and check out these apps!
 
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Video posted by AHR on Sept. 5, 2010

Print a Mystery Object - The Makerbot Gets an Upgrade

This week, the trusty Tested Makerbot goes into the shop for an upgrade. How will the brand new MK5 Plastruder work?

Video posted by will on Sept. 5, 2010

The Tested Video Mailbag Returns

This week, Will tackles tough questions on geography, premium motherboards, and Android apps. Plus, drinking water.

Video posted by will on Sept. 4, 2010

Apps of the Week: iPad Games and More!

Will and Norm play the latest iPad games and take an amazing new Twitter client for a test spin.

I like free stuff! You like free stuff. We all like awesome Android mini-vinyls, like this beautiful specimen here. What do you need to do to win? It's simple. Follow the directions below.   
 
Register for an account, then post a comment in the thread below telling us what you like (or don't like) most about Tested. We'll pick a random commenter at 11AM on Monday and you're eligible to win if shipping this to you will cost less than $75 US. Make sure you check your PMs early next week. If we don't hear from you by Wednesday, we'll give your vinyl to someone else!
HDR photography is all the rage these days, isn't it? A good HDR shot can bring out details in shadows, while not over-exposing lighter elements. This technique has the potential to give your shots a really great hyper-realistic effect. Apple announced in their recent event that the camera software on their i-devices would be getting built-in HDR shooting modes.  

Apple is using auto-bracketing in the app to take three different exposures, then they are combined in-app. On the Android platform, there is no integrated solution for doing this. There are only a few apps that can simulate an HDR effect with density and tone mapping. Continue on to see how well these apps perform. 
 
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Android offers developers a lot of freedom in using a phone's hardware in their apps. While this leads to some really amazing functionality, it can also be a security concern. Google has chosen to run a more open marketplace for apps, and does not hold content up so they can review it first. There is no gatekeeper for the Android Market. All a developer needs to do is pay the $25 developer fee and upload their app to the Android Market. Naturally, this has invited some riffraff to join the party. By looking at an app with a skeptical eye, and checking the permissions, you can avoid apps that are shady, or just plain scams. 
 
Head past the jump to find out. 
 
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Just as we predicted, Apple's newly revamped iPod Touch is now official, and we won't blame you if your credit card is at the ready. iOS 4, FaceTime, Retina display and the all-familiar A4 chip are set to reinvigorate the aging Touch lineup, bringing it up to par with the iPhone 4.

When it was first released, the Touch became what many users had been waiting for — an iPhone without the phone. Since then, the iPhone has changed drastically, both in terms of power and design, while the Touch has largely been left behind. Apple must have noticed too. 

So what does today's update mean for consumers? The Touch is back, and it's shaping up to be a damn good device, if first impressions are to be believed.

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For as long as the Android modding community has existed, the one and only Cyanogen (along with his collaborators) has been churning out amazing custom ROMs for a multitude of phones. The CyanogenMod ROMs have been a favorite in may circles because of their stability, and feature-rich experience. Now after a few months of development, CyanogenMod 6 is finalized. This is the first version of the ROM to be based on Android 2.2 Froyo. Of course it includes many of the stock Froyo improvements, but Cyanogen has made his customary improvements as well. 
 
Before you embark on your ROM installation journey, there are a few things you'll need to know. Read on as we give you the relevant details. 
 
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We recently ran down all the information available on the T-Mobile G2. Since then, this phone has been leaking like a sieve all over the internet. Now, we've gotten the first official pics of the T-Mobile G2, and also some more information about the probable specs. The images themselves were found living on T-Mobile's servers, so their authenticity isn't really in doubt. 

Let's just take a quick look back and see how accurate the rumor mill was on this one.
 
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