Research In Motion’s BlackBerry PlayBook tablet became the first BlackBerry device to be rooted this past November, granting users access to the device’s file system and allowing a level of customization that BlackBerry users have not had in the past. As RIM enters into the cat and mouse game Apple knows all too well, PlayBook owners willing to root their devices now have access to the Android Market as well as the apps contained within. CrackBerry has published a complete how-to guide that details all of the software and steps required in order to install Google’s Android Market on a PlayBook tablet. While an upcoming PlayBook software update will soon bring official Android app support to the tablet, apps will need to be repackaged and made available in BlackBerry App World in order to function in RIM’s app player. Using the guide linked below, no such tweaks are necessary from developers, and users can have Android apps running on the PlayBook immediately.

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A group of iOS hackers have managed to successfully port Apple’s virtual assistant software Siri to the iPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch, and the software needed to perform the port is now available to the public. Tech blog InTech-BB posted the necessary links on Sunday along with a how-to guide, and a number of users have reported successfully installing Siri on their devices using the tools and steps provided within the guide. Several users note problems with their cameras after installing the ported Siri software, but a fix is apparently now available. IPhone 4 and fourth-generation iPod touch owners who understand the risks involved with jailbreaking and installing unauthorized software can follow the read link below for a step-by-step tutorial along with a video of Siri in action on an iPhone 4.

[Via The Tech Erra]

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Brick and mortar shopaholics have so few places to turn for an adrenaline rush these days thanks to the advent of online shopping, but Black Friday always promises to be a battle that tests even the most seasoned shopper’s will. Anxious consumers line up early outside their retailers of choice and prepare to push, shove, crawl and even trample their way to some of the deepest discounts of the year. It’s no holds barred and things are bound to get dirty, but those who plan to work off their Thanksgiving feasts by throwing elbows and sprinting from store to store had better get their game faces on and go in prepared. Following the break, we lay out all the top tech retailers in the country and link you to the tools you need to map out your plan of attack. Good luck, be safe, and Godspeed.

Best Buy Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 12:00 AM

BJ’s Wholesale Club Black Friday 2011 sale detail

Doors open: 7:00 AM

Costco Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 9:00 AM

GameStop Black Friday 2011 sale detail

Doors open: 12:00 AM

Kmart Black Friday 2011 sale detail

Doors open: 5:00 AM

RadioShack Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors Open: 5:30 AM

Sam’s Club Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

Staples Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 6:00 AM

Target Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 12:00 AM

Walmart Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: 12:00 AM

Bonus

For those who would rather not fight through angry mobs of sale-hungry consumers, feel free to enjoy Amazon’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from the comfort of your desk or couch.

Amazon Black Friday 2011 sale details

AmazonWireless Black Friday 2011 sale details

Doors open: Always

We live in a digital age where it seems nearly impossible to maintain your privacy. There are some measures that can be taken to limit your exposure, however. While numerous companies make money by collecting data from public records and selling it to people looking to perform quick and easy background checks, there are ways to stop these companies from tossing around your personal information willy nilly. Reddit user “pibbman” has compiled a list of all the major background check sites that hand out your data to anyone with a credit card, and he has included instructions and links on how to opt out of their services and have your information removed from each site. Of course, be sure to search your name before opting out of any service — you’ll be required to prove your identity to these companies in order to opt out, and there’s no reason to hand over your information if they don’t already have it. Pibbman notes that once you have your personal information removed from each of the major sites he lists, you should also disappear from smaller sites as they seem to pull in data from the “big boys.” Hit the break for the start of this how-to guide, and hit the read link for the rest.

How to remove yourself from each of these have been listed below. I would recommend that you scan some form of ID such as a state issued ID like a drivers license. Black out your picture and drivers number. Leaving your name, address and DOB visible. Any sites that requires such a thing will have an * after the address.

Intelius.com* - Opt-out

Acxiom.com - Opt-out

MyLife.com – To request that a Member Profile or Public Profile be deleted, please contact Customer Care at 1-888-704-1900 or contact us by email at privacy@mylife.com. Upon receipt of these requests, and confirmation that you are requesting that your own profile be removed, please allow MyLife 10 business days to complete this removal. It may be necessary to contact you to validate that you are the profile owner requesting the removal. This is to ensure the correct identity and profile ownership before completing these requests, and is for the protection of our users and their privacy.

Zabasearch.com* - Opt-out

Spokeo.com - Opt-out

BeenVerified.com - LawyerCT’s guide

Peekyou.com - Opt-Out

USSearch.com* - Opt-Out

PeopleFinders.com - Opt-Out: Annoying form you have to mail in

Continued on Reddit…

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Microsoft doesn’t have plans to release its upcoming tablet-friendly Windows 8 operating system until some time next year, but that doesn’t mean Windows fans have to wait for an optimized tablet experience. Windows tablet fan Justin Campana found a series of apps and tweaks that can be combined with a few custom scripts to make the Windows 7 touch experience much more appealing. On his blog, Campana lays out a great guide that gives users all the tools they need to transform their contrived Windows 7 slates into gorgeous touch-optimized tablets. He uses a variety of software such as ObjectDock, Fences and Rainmeter along with a bunch of tweaks to make Windows 7 look like it was born for tablets. Best of all, Campana happily shares his methods with the world. Hit the break for a video of ASUS’ 12-inch Eee Slate EP121 Windows 7 tablet with touch optimizations applied, and follow the read link for a simple guide that will show you how to perform the mods yourself.

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To say Android fans had mixed emotions earlier this month when Netflix finally released its Android app is an understatement. On the one hand, the app is finally here, which is obviously great news. On the other hand, Netflix only made the app available on five of the many, many Android phones currently on the market. But we have good news for those of you with an Android device not currently supported by the Netflix app: your pals over at xda-developers forum have figured out a workaround that will let you install the app and stream all the movies and TV shows you can handle — and you won’t even need to root your phone. The workaround is tested and working on plenty of devices and it couldn’t be easier to do; you’ll just have to change a setting and then install one of the Netflix apps linked in the xda thread. Of note, most AT&T devices won’t be supported until a fix is implemented, but that should be coming in the near future. Check out the via link below for the how-to, and the files you’ll need can be found through the read link.

Thanks, Jim

[Via Lifehacker]

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The Motorola DROID X2 is definitely taking a page from the DROID Incredible 2′s playbook. That is: we know almost everything about this phone although Verizon Wireless has yet to officially announce it. Bearing that in mind, it should come as no surprise that the DROID X2′s user guide has hit Motorola’s official website. The guide confirms that the X2 will be a dual-core, 1GHz device with a 4.3-inch display and qHD resolution. It also confirms that the handset’s form will be nearly identical to that of the original DROID X; released just one year ago. The DROID X2 has a rumored go-live date of May 26th, although the guide does little to confirm that. Hit the jump to check out the PDF.

[Via Engadget]

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Apple has been testing multitouch gestures for quite a while, and we reported in January that this will likely lead to Apple ultimately ditching the home button on future iPad and iPhone devices. The feature, which simplifies certain tasks such as app switching, still isn’t available to the general public. But as it turns out, anyone can enable multitouch gestures on the iPad or iPad 2 with just a few minutes and $5. As pointed out by Gizmodo, users can simply purchase Apple’s iOS developer software Xcode 4 — available for $5 from the Mac App Store — and enable the nifty feature with a single click. Once enabled, users will be able to use a four-finger swipe from side to side in order to switch open apps, swipe up with four fingers to open the app switcher, and use a five-finger pinch to return to the home screen. Hit the break for the simple instructions.

Before following the steps below, ensure your iPad is updated to iOS 4.3.

1. Purchase Xcode 4 from the Mac App Store [iTunes link] (UPDATE: You can also download the older version of Xcode (v3.2) for free)
2. Launch Xcode and connect your iPad or iPad 2 to your computer
3. Click the “use for development” button
4. Ignore Xcode’s request for developer credentials and disregard the ensuing error
5. Once developer mode is activated, you can enable gestures from within Settings > General on your iPad

[Via Gizmodo]

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It looks like the recently announced HTC Merge has been given the U.S. government’s stamp of approval. Spotted at the FCC, the HTC handset has been long rumored to hit Verizon Wireless’ lineup. The extended lag time between the device’s discovery and unveiling — along with the deafening silence in between — led many to believe that the handset had either been scrapped or was being retooled with an LTE radio. Now, thanks to the FCC, we know neither of those things are true. The handset will be hitting “multiple North American carriers” in the near future, sans LTE (bummer). The FCC filing does include the device’s user guide, so if you want to know a little bit more about the Merge, hit the read link and have yourself a look. 

[Via Phone Scoop]

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Courtesy of T-Mobile and its newly announced G-Slate tablet by LG, several videos showing off Google’s new tablet-only OS have surfaced. Honeycomb will power the next generation of Android tablets, and it appears to offer some huge benefits over previous versions of the OS, which were designed with smartphones in mind. We really like what we’ve seen from Honeycomb so far, and we can’t wait to see more on the show floor. In the meantime, hit the jump for a handful of great videos that really give us a taste of what’s in store from Android 3.0 Honeycomb.

Sorry, Stevie… it looks like your plan to keep Flash off iOS devices just hit another speed bump. We know Apple claims performance issues are the reason Flash is nowhere to be found on iOS devices — and we can’t say we disagree with the company’s assessment, in some cases — but we also know tons of Web video content still uses Adobe’s Flash platform and, well, we want the option to view it on our iPhones, iPads and iPods. There are several options for viewing Flash videos on your iDevice, but most methods involve a jailbreaking. Skyfire is a good non-jailbreak option of course, but it has a tendency to be a bit slow at times. Luckily, a group of developers has a new free method that doesn’t involve a jailbreak — in fact, you don’t even have to install an app. A simple bookmarklet is all you need to stream Flash videos right to your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch. Hit the jump for a quick guide that will bring a plethora of embedded Flash video content to your iOS device of choice.

1. Navigate to http://iosflashvideo.fw.hu/ in Safari on your iPhone, iPad or iPod touch
2. Hit the + button (replaced by the box/arrow icon on some iOS builds), select Add Bookmark and tap Save
3. Open your bookmarks and tap Edit
4. Choose the new iOSFlashVideo bookmark
5. Delete everything before “javascript:” and tap Done

Now you’re ready to rock.

Simply navigate to a page with an embedded video from Blip.tv, Flickr, Dailymotion, Break, MegaVideo or Vimeo. As usual, you’ll see an empty white space or instructions to download Flash Player where the video should be. Just open your bookmarks and tap the iOSFlashVideo entry, and a new thumbnail will appear where the empty space used to be. Tap the thumbnail and the video will begin streaming immediately via QuickTime.

You’re still stuffed from a supersized feast the day before but you manage to pry yourself out of bed hours ahead of sunrise. A quick shower does little to wash off the shame brought on by having ingested five slices of pumpkin pie, but at least it helps to wake you up. As you exit your home and click the unlock button on your car’s key fob, your mind strays as you think of a hundred different reasons to go back inside and get back in bed. But you can’t. Your local retailers are calling to you from afar. The urge to save is too strong.  There is no turning back… It’s Black Friday.

If you plan on going to war this Friday, you had better be armed — and that’s where your pals at BGR come in. In our Black Friday 2010 guide, we lay out your 10 best local deal wielders and give you links to all the ammo you need. This way, instead of flying blind, you can put together a strategy and score all the gadgets you can carry at the deepest discounts of the year. Good luck, be safe, and Godspeed.

BEST BUY Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

BJ’s WHOLESALE CLUB Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 7:00 AM

COSTCO Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 9:00 AM

GAMESTOP Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

KMART Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

RADIOSHACK Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors Open: 5:30 AM

SAM’S CLUB Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

STAPLES Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 6:00 AM

TARGET Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 4:00 AM

WALMART Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: 5:00 AM

Bonus

For those who would rather not fight through angry mobs of sale-hungry consumers, feel free to enjoy Amazon.com’s Black Friday and Cyber Monday deals from the comfort of your desk or couch.

AMAZON Black Friday 2010 sale details

Doors open: Always

It looks like Sprint will be releasing another full-QWERTY Android handset from Samsung. Courtesy of a leaked user guide, we see the Samsung Transform, a mid-range Android 2.2 device with Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, micro-SD card slot, 3 megapixel camera, and — perhaps most notably – stock Android. The handset gets its name from a dedicated “Sprint ID” softkey which allows users to customize their device. Sprint ID-packs contain “features and functions ranging from icons, wallpapers, menus, and applications. More than a new User Interface skin for your device, this package of features and functions are each customized for different uses. These IDs can be downloaded directly from the device and purchased via the online Sprint Store.” Hit the read link to grab the full users manual, and let us know what you find!

Thanks, Dave & Jaggrey!

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If you’re thinking about picking up an Epic 4G from Sprint on the 31st, and want to know exactly what you’re getting into, Samsung has got you covered. The company was kind enough to post the user guide for the unreleased handset on its website late yesterday. There aren’t really any surprises in the document, but it does go over — ad nauseum — how the devices software will behave. The read link takes you right to the 264 page PDF if you’re interested. Enjoy!

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Thanks to the FCC, the user manual for the Sony Ericsson Xperia X8 has hit the interwebs. The device, which was first announced back in June, packs a 3″ HVGA display, 3.2 megapixel camera, A-GPS, Wi-Fi, 128 MB of internal memory, 600 MHz processor, and Android 1.6 with SE’s UX UI. The device has the 850 MHz and 1900 MHz 3G HSPA bands, which makes AT&T a likely landing spot for this little number. However, we’re starting to wonder how many mid-level Android devices can fit into AT&T’s smartphone portfolio. The PDF is live on the FCC’s website and can be downloaded directly using this link. Thoughts?

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