Apple has some tricks up its sleeve when it comes to the iPad keyboard in iOS 5. The addition of the split keyboard was helpful for people who enjoy typing with two hands while holding the iPad vertically. In this manner thumbs can more easily be used much like on the iPhone.

Now Finer Things in iOS has pointed out that there are actually hidden keys when typing in this mode. The keys found on the inside edge of the split keyboard are repeated on the opposite side, even though there's no key depicted.

iPhone Dev-Team has released the latest version of the redsn0w jailbreak tool, which will jailbreak the original iPad untethered in a few easy steps. Redsn0w is available for both Mac OS X and Windows computers, and will jailbreak iOS 5.0.1 firmware.

Before you follow the instructions below, make sure your iPad is running the latest stock Apple firmware, version 5.0.1. This can be checked by navigating to Settings -> General -> About -> Version. Updating the iPad over-the-air (OTA) requires iOS 5.0 to be installed first. Otherwise an update to 5.0.1 can be performed using iTunes on your computer.

You may be asked to turn off and stow your electronic devices in the cabin of an airplane, but now thanks to the FAA pilots can use iPads in the cockpit. After months of testing in all phases of flight, American Airlines is slated to begin using the iPad on Boeing 777 aircraft later this week.

Boeing itself has encouraged airlines to test the iPad, hoping to get its own flight navigation apps on the flight deck and enhance efficiency. Replacing the 35 pound flight bag across all of its fleet could save American Airlines $1.2 million in fuel costs alone.

More evidence of a thicker iPad 3 design has surfaced from Asian suppliers. The latest report from Macotakara claims to reveal an iPad 3 prototype case photo, as seen below. This prototype is incredibly boring, and indicates no cutouts for a rear camera or any other distinguishing marks that help prove it's an iPad case.

If this silver blob means anything, the iPad 3 will not only be thicker, but the back of the iPad 3 could be a return to the curved profile see in the original iPad. This form factor was replaced by the second generation iPad's flat back and thinner profile. If Apple is indeed planning to increase this dimension on the iPad 3, there had better be a good reason.

Microsoft is developing an iPad version of its popular Office suite for release sometime in 2012. According to a report in The Daily, the apps would likely be comparable in price to Apple's competing products Pages, Keynote and Numbers selling for $10 each.

Apple's productivity tools are designed to optimize use of the iPad touch screen, with redesigned menus and functionality for editing presentations, spreadsheets and text documents on the mobile device. With the iPad dominating tablet market share, it seems Microsoft is jumping into the fray to get a piece of the action.

The trailer for upcoming fantasy sequel Infinity Blade 2 is packed with impressive graphics that take full advantage of the A5 processor in the iPad 2 and iPhone 4S. Of course, the game will still run on older iOS devices and brings scenery and lighting in the title to a whole new level.

The Infinity Blade 2 release date has been confirmed for Thursday December 1, 2011. Apple watchers got a sneak peak of the app at the iPhone 4S keynote, but now a trailer showcasing the incredible art in the game is available below. Epic Games and ChAIR Entertainment also announced that the original Infinity Blade is on sale for $2.99 for a limited time.

Adobe has announced the end of mobile Flash development after a long and public battle with former Apple CEO Steve Jobs over the technology. Jobs cited Flash as too inefficient and insecure to run on Apple's devices, including the iPad and iPhone. Initially some questioned the decision but the adoption of HTML5 has skyrocketed along with iPad sales, making Flash less relevant.

Manufacturers of Android tablets have long contended that the inclusion of mobile Flash on their devices makes them superior to the iPad. Now that Adobe is abandoning the technology on mobile devices, some reports have declared a posthumous victory for Steve Jobs. Adobe has already begun to invest in HTML5 technology despite its refusal to acknowledge the limitations of Flash on mobile devices.

The world's first gesture browser is finally here for the iPad and iPad 2. Gesture browsing is just one of the cool features included in this free App Store application by developer MoboTap. First off, Dolphin Browser HD is optimized for iPads running iOS 3.2 or later. An extensive list of features makes Dolphin a much better browsing experience than the stock Mobile Safari.

To start with, gesture browsing is almost like having your favorite bookmarks available with one touch. Tapping a single button and swiping a pre-recorded gesture immediately brings you to the associated URL. You can even add your own gestures to make shortcuts to commonly used commands such as forward and back.

Adobe has announced new solutions for content providers that will make it possible to stream Flash video content to iOS devices. The advantage is that the media server will detect what type of mobile device is accessing content and deliver it automatically in a compatible format.

When it comes to the iPad, this format is Apple's HTTP Live Streaming (HLS). Actual Flash software will never officially make it onto an iOS device, and Adobe is anxious to stem the flow of companies ditching Flash for HTML5. With Adobe's Flash Media Server 4.5 content providers can deliver Flash content to various mobile devices including iPads and iPhones using the same content stream.

Skype has released the first version of its free iPad application on the App Store. Unlike the iPhone software which is already in its third iteration, Skype on the iPad has garnered mixed reviews. The company initially launched the app on Monday, however it was pulled down and re-released Tuesday after some minor fixes.

The Skype app weighs in at 16 MB and requires iOS 4.0 or later for operation. Although original iPad users can run the app, video can only be received on the device due to the lack of a built-in camera. iPad 2 users will be able to chat with video up to 1280 x 720 pixel resolution at 30 frames per second.