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It’s good to trick friends into making them think something is real. Think about the possibilities…
Friend who loves sports (ESPN.com)
Your Dad (CNN.com)
Someone like me (Apple.com)
My Top 20 Best iPhone Applications has been getting a ton of traffic ever since the app store came out. I like this, but at the same time, I am not giving readers what they are exactly looking for. My post was specifically for apps in installer.app, not for the App Store. The majority of this traffic is coming looking for the best app store apps, not for installer apps. Since I hate having traffic not be satisfied with my content, I am almost forced to do this post. Remember a few thinks, I cannot test all the apps since I do not feel like downloading them all and I am not willing to spend hundreds of dollars on iPhone apps. At the same time, I like to download a lot of iPhone apps, so don’t worry about my lack of testing… Here are my Top 20 Best APP STORE iPhone Applications:
I did a mini demo/review of this app a few weeks ago and it blew my mind. The graphics are stunning and the gameplay is just what you are expecting. I have never seen such quality of a game on a mobile device. Since this is a poker game, it has a ton of depth. If you like playing poker, this game can last you years. This game is not worth $10, it is worth $20.
This is a pretty obvious one. Super Monkey Ball brings the best out of the iPhone’s accelerometer. The tilting takes a little to get used to, but once you do, it is easy and fun. A little secret is to realize that when you tilt your iPhone, you are not physically moving the ball, but more the level itself. Pretend the whole level is on a fulcrum and you are simply putting more weight on the side you tilt. That should help you a lot when first trying to play. The levels start from stupidly easy to annoyingly hard. At first it seems like you will finish the game in no time, but then you realize that no only is there a TON of levels, but as levels get harder, it takes more and more time to finish a world. This was definitely a great buy, but I would suggest it more if you have not played Super Monkey Ball much before. It may feel a bit repetitive if you have played the levels before.
Pandora Radio is amazing! If you have not used Pandora before today, you will start using it now. Pandora is a service that analyzes artist and songs that you like and creates “radio stations” that play full songs that are musically similar to those artists are songs that you like. This is a great way to find new music that you can buy and download on iTunes. Pandora has brought Pandora mobile and man did they do it well. Pandora Radio is fully featured and works just like it would on your computer. This is a must have for music lovers.
4. Remote
Remote does exactly what you need it to do, perfectly. Even though I myself do not use it much, if I did, it would suit my needs perfectly. Lets put it this way, it is almost like opening up your iPod and having it play on external speakers. I say this because it you have so much control. It is not a simple remote with a pause/play, next/back, it is much more. This “remote” app is like wireless iTunes.
5. Crash Bandicoot Nitro Kart 3D
Out of all the racing games out, Crash Bandicoot is the best. The controls are dead on, the graphics are great and there are a ton of options. This game is a mix of Mario Kart (one of my favorite games ever) and Crash Bandicoot (also on of my favorite games). This game is challenging and a ton of fun, buy it.
6. Enigmo
Enigmo is a great game mostly because of the concept. The simple task on getting bouncing droplets of water into a bowl seems so simple, but it Enigmo makes is as intricate as it can be. After the 10th level, this puzzle game gets HARD. I am totally stuck on the 11th level and I love it since I know it is possible. Oh and I almost forgot, this game is stunning and the controls are perfectly fit for the iPhone. There are about 8 apps (as of now) I think are really worth buying. This is one of them.
7. BoxOffice
I love this app! I could not imagine a better app for getting movie show times, theater locations and movie reviews. It gives you the most information you could want before seeing a movie with an incredibly simple UI. One thing I love about it is the integration with Rotten Tomatoes. On the left side of every movie, it will show the Rotten Tomato score. This is great because you can list the movies by rating, something the other movie apps lack. Oh, and guess what… it doesn’t cost a penny.
8. Twinkle (vs. Twitteriffic)
In my opinion, Twinkle is a better, more richly featured version of the popular Twitteriffic. Twitteriffic is defiantly good, but Twinkle offers so much more that are essential to big twitter users. Twinkle offer the ability to view public tweets, view nearby tweets and tweets from people you are not subscribed to. These are 3 features Twitteriffic lacks. Also, don’t forget, they are both free, but Twitteriffic has small ads that can get a bit annoying. Twinkle is free, ad-free and absolutely beautiful.
MotionX Poker utilizes a new amazing motion technology that is the powerhouse of the app. When shaking the iPhone, your dice roll as if they were actually thrown. You will be stunned the first time you roll. The game is a little bit repetitive, but since the rolling is just so cool, you will find yourself rolling, and rolling, and rolling. Yes, this game is very very addicting. At first, 10,000 coins seems impossible, but with a little bit of work you will find that nothing is impossible.
10. Units
At first look, Units seems like a simple calculator, but with just a few clicks, you realize that it is much more. Units allows you to convert just about anything to anything. This conversion app has on of the cleanest, simplest UI I have ever seen. For only $.99 this is a steal. If you travel a lot, this app is essential.
11. Labyrinth
Labyrinth is a game that shows the full potential of the iPhone. Just like Super Monkey Ball, it uses the iPhone accelerometer to its fullest. If you wanted to show anyone how cool the iPhone is, this is the app to show. Labyrinth’s controls are so perfect, it actually feels like you are using a real labyrinth table. With over 500 levels, Labyrinth almost never gets old and is definitely worth the $7.
Midiomi and Shazam both help you find songs that you do not know the name of, or who it is by. If there was a mix of the two apps, it would definitely be worth money. The reason is that they both have features that the other lacks. Shazam is a little more reliable than Midomi and also has a better “results” interface than Midomi. At the same time, Shazam lacks the ability to sing or hum a song, which Midomi supports. This is HUGE because this app’s purpose is almost always when you do not have the song playing. This is why I suggest Midomi. It almost never fails when I sing a song to it and will work just perfectly when in need.
13. Tips
I have tested almost 15 different Tip apps and this one is my number one. A Tip app needs to be simple, easy and fast. Tips looks good, gets the job done and has a nice, easy UI. It is as simple as that.
14. Tap Tap Revenge
The reason Tap Tap Revenge is on this list is because it is free and has a ton of potential. It’s concept came from a game called Tap Tap Revolution and in my opinion, Tap Tap Revolution was a lot better. This is because anyone could make tap playlists for any song and you could tap to your own music library. Nevertheless, this is a very fun game as it is and since it is free…download it.
15. FaceBook
Almost everyone now of days has a FaceBook. Everyone changes their status, uploads pictures, comments on people’s walls, etc. With a new update that just came out, FaceBook.app has become the only thing you will ever need for FaceBook on your iPhone. Even your friend list looks just like your contact list. Trust me, this app is great and if you use FaceBook, DOWNLOAD IT.
16. WordPress
Wordpress is a must have app for everyone who owns a Wordpress blog. This app works very smoothly and has the key features that are needed when posting to your blog. You can have as many blogs as you want and save posts as pending for review so you can check it when you get home. This is a perfect app for your “on the go” post that you just need to get out there.
17. NetSketch
NetSketch is a wonderful application for people who love to draw. One of the coolest things about NetSketch is the ability to draw as big as a picture as you want. It is as simple as zooming out. Your original drawing will get smaller, as if you have unlimited paper space. Once you are done with your drawing, you can share it and upload it to your NetSketch account. If you have two iPhones on the same wifi network, you can both simultaneously draw on the same piece of paper, in realtime! I could play with this app all day.
18. Garf
Ok, I know what your thinking…”how could a Simon game be on a Top 20 Best App Store iPhone Applications list.” Well, I will tell you. Have you ever wondered why Simon was so popular back in the day? It is because it was simple, but brilliant. That is exactly what Garf is. Garf is a simple memory game, but since it is so brilliant, it is very…. Addicting. This game is well done, has tons of levels and will keep you wanting to come back to get higher scores. Hey, if you don’t believe me, read some of the reviews.
19. Versus Chess
Here is the reason this game is worth buying: You can play a simple, but elegant game of chess with a real human being anywhere around the world as long as you have an edge or wifi connection. Are you sold?
20. Trism
My last app is a one of my favorite games on my iPhone. Trism uses all of iPhones technologies to create a bejeweled like game that will blow your mind away. The graphics are amazing, the gameplay is very original and it is a hell lot of fun. You use the iPhone accelerometer to choose which way the rows and column will fall. This type of control is very unique and fun to use. I find this game to be flawless and deserves every penny. Buy it.
If I had the time, I would add 40 more apps to this list. Hopefully you found this useful, whether you were trying to find some apps to download or just wanted small reviews of them. Thanks for reading 
PwnageTool 2.0 makes hacking your device as simple as it could get. Its instructions make everything easy to understand and straight forward. When you first open PwnageTool 2.0, it will tell you that it is copyright the iPhone Dev Team since some thieves stole it and are selling it on their site. The safest way to use PwnageTool 2.0 is in simple mode since it does everything for you. I selected “iPhone” and it found the firmware that I downloaded when I upgraded to 2.0 (you must upgrade before you start this).
Then follow the instructions until it asks in you are a legit iPhone user. “Yes” = No unlock, just jailbreak. “No” = Jailbreak and unlock. SO SIMPLE! It will build the firmware for you and put it on the desktop.
Now, here comes the part of actually modding the iPhone. PwnageTool 2.0 will now instruct you to put your iPhone in DFU mode which is very easy with the on screen instructions. I didn’t really know what I was doing but before I knew it my iPhone was in DFU mode. Now, go into iTunes, option click “restore” and select the firmware PwnageTool 2.0 made. Before you know it that Apple Logo is not a sweet pineapple!
The reason I call this safe is because unless you really try some crazy hacking with your iPhone, it is almost impossible to brick. Your iPhone is always a click away from restore. If at any times your are in doubt, be patient! Sometimes you may think that your iPhone is dead or frozen, but it just needs time. If somehow things get screwed up, plug your iPhone in and try to restore. If iTunes is not recognizing it, simply put it in recovery mode and you are set to go. PwnageTool is safe and easy.
As of now, jailbreaking does not have much benefits since all the apps in installer still need to be ported to 2.0 Do not worry though, these things are just a matter of time and soon %70 of these apps will be back. Even Customize is weeks away from working on 2.0
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Just 10 minutes ago, the iPhone Dev Team updated their blog with a video preview (Mirror) of the new PwnageTool 2.0 which will jailbreak and unlock iPhone 2.0 and iPod Touch 2.0. Here is their short post:
So guys, below is a link to the video of the upcoming PwnageTool 2.0
Many many hours have gone into this and now it should be as easy enough for your grandmother to use.
We’ve added lots of new features, including 2.0 support, spotlight file indexing of .ipsws, canned websearches, installer custom configuration, custom root partitions and various other things that you’ll see on the release. Release date is soon although not this weekend. So check out the video, hopefully it will hold you off until we release. Video is here Music by the Marx brothers
This is hell of good news for the hacking world. I myself will wait a while until I see a very easy way and a need to jailbreak 2.0. As of now… I just sit and wait.
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A few days ago I wrote my 5 Tips For Increasing Blog Traffic. One of the tips was to use forums and comment on other people’s blogs. Well today, I have a good example of why this can help. I commented on a famous bog by Darren Rowse called ProBlogger. He writes a lot about Wordpress, blogging and the various ways to make money and increase blog traffic.
Recently he posted a post called “Best WordPress Template Designs” in which he wanted people to comment about what they think is the best Wordpress theme. I obviously commented about the theme I use, FreshNews by Adii. Since I thought my blog was a good example of it, I posted my link. I have had 100 uniques since then. This shows how important commenting on other people’s blogs can be. Even Darren thinks this is one of the most important things to drive traffic to your blog. Watch this clip he made:
Learn from the greatest…
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I decided to let a good friend of mine, Kevin Stauss, write a post on my blog. He is a guru in video shooting, editing, etc. He was recently featured on a podcast called Discovr in which he demonstrated his vast amount of knowledge about video and video terminology. He has done many short films in which you can see here (under construction at the time) and offers many services such as audio/video editing support, commercials and short films and other special effects. So if you would like any video work done, contact him here.
As for this post, I asked him to give his 5 best tips when shooting video. You never know when you might have that camera in your hand, so you might as well shoot as best as you can when you do. I had to shoot some video for a tennis camp that I worked at a little over the summer and these tips helped me out great. So without further delay, I present Kevin’s tips:
1. Don’t center your shots
When shooting video or taking pictures, you may be tempted to frame your subject in the middle of the image. If you want your shots to be interesting and visually-pleasing, placing your subject off-center will accomplish this. One thing that should be noted, though, is if you’re shooting a person and their body fills up more than you can frame, you should always position their head at the top of the frame, even if it cuts a portion of their hair off.
2. Don’t shoot too close to the edges
Think twice before framing something near the edge of the image. If you’re shooting for DVD, the edges will be cropped off. If you use a higher-end video editing program, such as Final Cut Express, you’ve seen the two boxes on your video (see below). The outer box is the Action Safe area and the interior one is the Title Safe area. As the names imply, you should keep all of the action inside the Action Safe area and keep all titles that you add in your video editor inside the Title Safe box. When burned to a DVD, everything inside these boxes will appear on the TV, but outer portions will be cut off (the area that is cut off is different for all TVs).
3. Use your view finder
Sure, the big LCD screen on your brand new video camera is tempting to use, but you shouldn’t use it if you want to see what you’re actually shooting. The viewfinder has a more accurate view of how your video will look. If that screen is too tempting, make all of your adjustments (white balance, exposure, etc.) using the viewfinder, then switch to the LCD screen.
4. Use two hands
If you have a small camcorder, this one may look a little strange, but your video will be much more stable. On a small, consumer camera, put one hand through the wrist strap and put your other hand underneath the camera. You can do the same for a larger, prosumer camera, but you could hold the focus ring (or right behind the lens/lens hood) instead. While holding the camera, holding your elbows against yourself also drastically stabilizes your shot.
5. Don’t zoom if you don’t have to
It may be the lazy way to get closer to a subject, but don’t do it if you can physically move in on the object. It may not be smooth (unless you’re on a dolly of some sort), but neither is the rest of your footage (if you can move closer to the subject, I have to assume you’re not shooting on a tripod). Many filmmakers prefer to have shakier footage as opposed to nice tripod shots. You could even incorporate both at the same time in a technique called the Vertigo zoom.
(Bonus Tip) The Vertigo Zoom
I have to say one thing before I tell you what exactly this technique is; do not attempt the Vertigo zoom. I’ll tell you what it is, but don’t do it. The Vertigo zoom (named such for Alfred Hitchcock’s usage of it in the film “Vertigo”) is a combination of dollying out and zooming in, or dollying in and zooming out. Both of these tasks must be done at the same time and same speed for it to look correct. Doing so keeps the foreground subject the same size while moving the background closer to or further from the camera.The reason I say not to use it is because it has been attempted many times by independent filmmakers with little success. If it’s not done correctly, it ends up looking terrible. Plus, people often use it the wrong way (ie at the wrong times). Watch “Vertigo” and you’ll see what I mean.
Thank Kevin for these great tips in the comments!
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1) Title your content well. I get almost all of my traffic from Google, so it is really important that people can find your content on search engines easily. In order to increase the likelihood of you site coming up on Google, you need to title your posts correctly. Try to think about what a searcher will search for on Google and put those keywords in your title. You also do not want to make posts that only make sense based on the current time. It has to be understandable no matter how long ago the post was written. Also, the most important thing is that the title is relevant. Your title has to be exactly what your post is about. This post’s title is, “5 Tips For Increasing Blog Traffic” because I am giving 5 tips for increasing blog traffic. I wouldn’t title it, “My experience with blog traffic” because no one would search that and it is not good at summarizing the content of the post. A person is much more likely to search “tips for increasing blog traffic” than “experience with blog traffic.” This is why titling you blog posts are so important. You need it to be relevant, catchy, straight to the point and time irrelevant.
2) Use forums and twitter and other social networks. When using these services always put a link to your blog for other people to click on. A good way to do this is to put the link in your signature on all of the forums you use. This way if any reader happens to glance and see a post of yours, they may just end up clicking on it. The more people that see your blog, the more you have a chance for loyal readers. You never know when someone may see your blog and like it. That is why you need to make it available for as many people possible. Whenever you meet someone new online, whether it be facebook, twitter or on a forum, give them the link to your blog. They are almost forced to check it out. Also a good tip is to go to forums that specialize on what you write about. The viewers will be much more likely to subscribe to your RSS feed if they like the topic you write about. For example, I love macs, so I go to the MacHeist Forums a lot and post my link whenever it is relevant. One thing though, do not spam. No one likes spammers…
3) Write well, spell check, and don’t be lazy! If you seem smart to your readers, they are much more likely to stay around. This is because smart people are attractive (no, not in that kind of way). People like smart people because they feel they can learn from them. If they read your posts finding spelling mistakes every 3 minutes, they are probably going to either leave or put up a nasty comment on your blog. You don’t want that kind of vibe hanging around your blog, so don’t be lazy and proofread. I have to say, I am lazy all the time and I do not proofread. This is a really bad habit of mine and it is something I am working on. If you see any spelling mistakes, please point them out to me. If you cannot help your laziness, you can always admit it to your readers, that way they will have more sympathy for you (hehe).
4) Digg almost everything you have. Even if it is not very relevant, Digg it. Every click you can get is worth it and you never know when something of yours will blow up on Digg. There is no harm and it can only help spread your blog more.
5) Analyze your blog statistics. I have an account at Clicky in which I use all the time to look at how my readers are coming to my site. You can see what they search to get there, what links they click to get there and exactly what they are most interested in. If they love one of your posts especially, write more about that topic. If they keep searching the same sort of keywords, write more posts with those keywords. Simply follow your traffic and soon the traffic will follow you.
Really it all comes down to how good and interesting your content is and how much your write. I go by this, don’t write unless you are interested in what you’re writing about. If you are interested in a lot of things, blogging should come easy to you. I love writing so I don’t mind writing a post almost everyday. The more content, the more readers have to read.
If you get frustrated with the amount of traffic you have, don’t worry. If you genuinely feel you have good things to say, you will get traffic eventually. These things take time. I would give it a month or so with good consistent writing until you can get worried. Until then, just keep on blogging!
]]>It is called Wordpress Thread Comment and it is one of the best Wordpress plugins I have ever used. It does its job perfectly, works fine with your theme and is very customizable.
If you look at the screenshot, this is essentially what the plugin lets. It will create a link under every comment saying, “reply to this comment” (customizable) and when you click that link, it brings the comment form under the comment. If you decide you do not want to reply, simply click the red link on the bottom of the new form. When you actually send a reply comment, just like on YouTube, puts your comment under the one your replied to. That person will also get an e-mail informing them of your comment.
There is not coding that is needed to be done, all you have to do is activate the plugin. It even works with my ajax comments plugin, which I love. This plugin should be included in Wordpress because it is that useful. Try it out here and see how it works!
I give my best regards to the developer and I thank him for all of hist work.
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I stress anyone above the age of 14 (there is some vulgarity) to try out this podcast. This podcast is hosted by Scott Simpson, Adam Lisagor and Merlin Mann (huge fan). The podcast’s slogan is “an audio-based Journal of Emotional Hygiene.” Basically it is these three guys talking about random things that are hilarious. Whether its about past jobs, funny stories, or even word games, they make it work. You really have to check this out if you got a good sense of humor and can handle some swearing.
2. Indy Mogul - DIY Filmmaking
Even if you’re not into video and filmmaking, this podcast is amazing. The whole show is dedicated to teaching guys like you and me, how to make great films for cheap. The reason this podcast is so good is because it’s also hilarious. It’s not just some boring informative video show, it’s that and tons more. This is why I love watching this show, it makes me laugh and I learn a ton of stuff that I can use if I ever need to make a good video. One of my favorite series from them is called BFX, a series about making awesome gory special effects for less than $50. Here is a recent one that is one of my favorites.
3. PixelPerfect
PixelPerfect is run by a Photoshop guru named Bert Monroy. I’m not soooo into design and photoshop, but it’s really interesting and good to know. Bert spends every show showing you great, new techniques for doing different things in Adobe Photshop and Illustrator. You can learn a lot more than you think you can just by watching this show. If your interested at all in design, I recommend it.
MacBreak Weekly is a great audio podcast hosted by Leo Laporte and features Merlin Mann, Scott Bourne, Andy Ihnatko, and Alex Lindsay. I think Merlin Mann and Andy Ihnatko really make this podcast shine. As you can tell from the title, this podcast is a weekly show all about Apple. They cover all the Apple news giving their opinions on everything. It’s a great show if your interested in Apple.
Geek Brief TV is a fun tech show hosted by Cali Lewis. I used to not like this podcast, but it has grown on me. It is always a good place to go for a quick tip for random things in the technological world. She’s very informative and is very smart and I suggest trying out this podcast to see if you like it.
6. Diggnation
Diggnation is one of the most popular podcasts in the world. If you are a frequent web surfer, you have probably heard of Diggnation. The podcast is hosted by Alex Albrecht and Kevin Rose, founder of Digg.com. Diggnation covers some of the hottest stories on Digg.com and it is hilarious. Sometimes the show can be serious and have actual discussions, but most of the times, it’s just funny, stupid, random discussion. That’s mostly why people watch this show, but it is also very informative. I love this podcast and you will too.
7. Blastr
Blastr is a great podcast hosted and produced by a 13 year old podcaster and blogger NichM. He has about 3 to 5 other teen bloggers on the show and is always talking about the latest tech/Apple news. You would be surprised how well this show is produced and hosted even though everyone on the show is young. Check out Blastr!
The Totally Rad Show is another great Revision3 video podcast. “Every week, hosts Alex Albrecht, Dan Trachtenberg, and Jeff Cannata rip into the world of movies, video games, tv, comics, and more and pull out what’s rad.” What I love about this podcast is that they give honest reviews from the average guy. It’s another one of those hilarious, but informative shows and you can obviously see that this is the style of podcasts I love. I almost like this show more and Diggnation.
9. Bwana.tv
Bwana is a lively guy, always covering Apple/iPhone news. He loves to talk about helpful iPhone web apps, iPhone software and Apple events. He also does a lot of giveaways and has a great ustream. He’s another good source for your Apple needs…
The Mediocre Show is similar to You Look Nice Today, but not as good in my opinion. Its very funny, has some great moments and is very random. The reason I don’t like it as much as You Look Nice Today is because the vulgarity annoys me a lot. Don’t you just hate it when people curse non-stop for no reason. I think the cursing can be funny sometimes, but when its for no reason, its just not funny. Also I just love Merlin Mann and there is no one like him on this show. Anyway, these guys are still very funny and I like to listen to them when I am bored.
Well, there you go! My 10 favorite Podcasts! If you haven’t heard of some of these, I suggest you check them out and maybe subscribe. If you listen to any of them and end up not liking them, please tell me your opinion and I would love to respond. Thanks and enjoy!
]]>This is what we are trying to accomplish:
It’s possible and I’m going to show you how to do it. Basically, you need to make it so that your computer is “seeable” at the port 5900 (VNC) from anywhere. This involves doing two things:
Step 1) Sign up at a dynamic DNS service. The best one and the one that worked for me was No-IP.com. Once you set it up correctly, No-IP.com helps you by remembering the IP address of your router no matter what your ISP sets it to. First simply make an account. Once that is done, add a host. Call “Home” and it will make your full host name at H=home.no-ip.biz. Make sure you put in all the right information including your IP address. Now download the DUC client on the downloads tab and choose your OS. Run that and press update. You are now done with your first task. No matter what network you’re on, you can always connect to your router by entering your home.no-ip.biz address in Touchpad Pro. You now need to tell your router to forward any VNC requests to your actual VNC server.
Step 2) Your router IP address can be found in the Network preference pane. When your have that, put it in your browser. This will either ask for a password or go straight to the control panel. If it asks for a password, most likely the username is blank and the password is “admin.” This may be only for linksys routers. The control panel will be different for everyone, but this website shows where to go for every router. Find your router and follow the directions. If you have a linksys router, it may look like this:
If it does, click on Applications & Gaming. Then you should put in something very similar to this:
Name the application whatever you want, set the start and end at 5900, set the protocol at booth and put in your local IP address. Yours will most likely be different than mine. Then check enabled and your done. Save the preferences and close the window. Wait about 5 minutes and go to this website. Type the port 5900 and test it out. If there is a success, congratulations, you did it! The first time I tried, it didn’t work, but I tried tweaking some things and I figured it out. My big mistake was I put in the wrong IP address!
If there was a success, go into TouchPad Pro and try it out, it should work from anywhere in the world!
Anyways, if you guys have problems, comment and I will try to help.
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