As the 2010 comes to a close, several prominent tech writers are declaring the iPad the best product of the year.

Walt Mossberg has declared the iPad the “best product of 2010″ saying:

For a 1.0 product, the iPad was amazing. With the new iOS 4.2 operating system and its huge selection of apps, the iPad continues to stay ahead of the competition.

Also appearing in Walt’s top three products of 2010 was the iPhone 4.

MG Siegler of TechCrunch writes that the iPad is:

Maybe the best v1 product Apple has ever made? Maybe the best v1 product anyone has ever made? There was so much hype leading up to the launch that it seemed impossible that it would live up to the hype. But, remarkably, the iPad blew past it.

It’s crazy to think that Apple will improve it greatly with v2, but you know they will. It has already changed the face of personal computing.

MG also loves the new MacBook Air, the new Apple TV, a handful of iOS apps, and the iPhone (minus AT&T).

With all the acclaim that’s fallen on the current iPad, you’ve got to wonder what’s in store for the next gen iPad 2 which should be announced sometime in the near future.

Think you’ve seen it all? Think again, because now there are iPad games designed for cats. Yes, you read that right. Hiccup Inc is an iOS developer that is creating iPad games for cats, and their first title, the appropriately named “Games for Cats” is hilarious because cats actually play the game. Well, play as in swipe at a moving object on the iPad screen that is.

Dubbed “The Worlds Best Video Game for Cats” (not sure if there are any competitors in this space), it’s a pretty basic concept really. Things move around the screen and cats swipe at them. You can select either laser mode which mimics the classic laser pointer that cats go absolutely nuts over, or you can choose mouse mode, which features a rabid squeaky mouse that scurries away and squeaks in response to a cats paws touch. The game even keeps track of high scores.

Instead of talking about the game any further, I’d recommend watching some of the videos of the cats playing “Games for Cats” they are pretty funny:
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Update 2: Redsn0w 0.9.7b4 download is now available and no longer requires usbmux to jailbreak.

Update: redsn0w 0.9.7b3 has been released and provides further stability, it is recommended to use the latest beta version.

Redsn0w 0.9.7b2 has just been released into the public redsn0w untethered jailbreak iOS 4.2.1 beta test program. The latest beta resolves some significant problems with the first beta, and the iPhone Dev Team says that 0.9.7b2 should resolve all the crashes that were occurring from the prior b1 release. It’s worth mentioning that bluetooth is still disabled, and unlocks are continue to be unsupported. The Dev Team also suggests that if testers had any trouble using usbmuxd with beta1 that they should wait until the software is integrated directly into a coming release of redsn0w itself.

Download Redsn0w 0.9.7b2

The 0.9.7 beta releases are recommended for testers only, it can be downloaded directly:

• Download Now (Mac OS X only)

As before, this beta version only works on Mac OS X with an iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod touch 4G. Windows users as well as those with other iOS hardware will need to wait until a more finalized public release of the untethered jailbreak.

The iPhone Dev Team suggests to try redsn0w 0.9.7b2 only after a fresh restore to limit variables involved in debugging. When running the app, select “Jailbreak Monte” to test out the untethered jailbreak solution.

Update 3: Redsn0w 0.9.7b4 is now available and no longer requires usbmux to initiate the jailbreak.

Update 2: redsn0w 0.9.7b3 download is now available and provides further stability.

Update: A newer and more stable Redsn0w 0.9.7b2 has just been released, it is recommended for beta testers to use that version instead.

The latest version of the Redsn0w jailbreak is available to download via the iPhone Dev Team. The Redsn0w 0.9.7b1 release is the much talked about untethered jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1, meaning you’ll be able to boot your iPhone without attaching it to a computer with redsn0w running, however this is very much a beta release and should be used only by veteran jailbreakers who want to help beta test the release.

The Dev Team is calling this betas backup method the “Jailbreak Monte” and the beta indeed makes it a game of chance, since not all hardware can use this jailbreak. Redsn0w 0.9.7b1 only works to jailbreak iPhone 4, iPad, and iPod touch, and only if you have saved your iOS 4.2b3 SHSH blobs with Cydia. If you rely on the ultrasn0w unlock, you also can not use the latest Redsn0w 0.9.7b1, and you’ll need to wait until the beta period is over.

Download Redsn0w 0.9.7b1

This beta release of redsn0w is currently limited only to Mac OS X users:

• Download now (Mac)

There are a several significant bugs in this beta release, most notably that Bluetooth functionality is disabled and the iPod music player only works on the 4G iPod touch at the moment. There are also reports of Springboard (application launcher) crashing frequently and many apps becoming unstable. This release is definitely not for the faint of heart or those who are not familiar with the jailbreak and restoration process.

Be sure to backup your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch before using redsn0w 0.9.7b1 and read all instructions.

The MacBook Air is tiny and very notebook like as is, but one MacBook Air owner decided to take that idea one step further and create a composition notebook skin for his MacBook Air. The MacBook Air is beautiful as is, but I kind of like the topsheet and bottomsheet cover idea, I can’t say I’m a fan of the ruled pages appearing on the inside of the Air though.

You can see more pictures on Flickr and even download the PNG files yourself if you want to make your own.

Merry Christmas from OSXDaily.com!

Things will be a bit slow around here today, but:

Check out a geeky Christmas concert of an all iPad, iPhone, and iPod touch band performing Christmas songs.

If you got an iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch for Christmas, you’ll need to download iTunes 10.1 before you grab the iOS 4.2.1 update. If you’re feeling adventurous, you can jailbreak and turn the iPhone into a wireless hotspot. Don’t forget to check out the most popular iPhone and iPad apps for 2010 for some app ideas.

Did you get a new Mac? How about copying the iTunes library from a PC to a Mac?

If you got someone else an iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad, why not setup an iTunes Store allowance for them?

If you’re a total slacker and still need some last minute gift ideas (the very definition of last minute at this point), go for the virtual gift cards!

Everyone suspects that the Verizon iPhone release date will be soon, but just how soon is anyones guess. Some say the CES expo at January, and others say at a later release date.

And then there is Skype, who has a prominently featured Verizon logo next to their own logo on a page about making Skype video calls on the iPhone. Maybe Skype is just having fun with everyone or maybe they know something and are anticipating FAQ for the Verizon iPhone, but it’s a bit interesting to throw the Verizon logo up on an iPhone Q&A page. 2011 is right around the corner so we’ll be finding out soon enough, until then, let the speculation continue!

It must be Christmas! Somewhere behind that stack of ten iPads is a guy carrying them all… just don’t trip!

Thanks to Brad for sending this in via Flickr.

The iPhone Dev Team is looking for beta testers to try out the new untethered redsn0w jailbreak for iOS 4.2.1. Requirements for the beta program are as follows:

• You will need a Mac
• Your iPhone must not be unlocked or need the ultrasn0w unlock for iOS 4.2.1
• You have a copy of iOS 4.2b3 IPSW on your Mac
• You have stored a copy of your 4.2b3 SHSH hashes with Cydia

Update 2: A second and more stable beta has been released as redsn0w 0.9.7b2, however it is still not recommended for the average user.

Update: The beta is now released to the public, you can download Redsn0w 0.9.7b1 to try out the untethered jailbreak, however it is not for the faint of heart.

Note that you won’t need to restore to iOS 4.2b3, you only need a copy of the IPSW file for redsn0w to access. iOS 4.2b3 would be available to those in the Apple iOS Developer Program, and the DevTeam is asking that everyone else do not pirate the beta version.

If you fit the requirements and are interested in participating in the untethered redsn0w beta program, you can follow redsn0w_testers on Twitter and request more information.

Windows users will have to wait for the untethered redsn0w release, but according to iPhone Dev Team member MuscleNerd, “(if) all the Mac testers give good feedback, then the Win port will follow very soon.”

The difference between a tethered vs untethered jailbreak is that a tethered jailbreak requires the iOS device to be connected to a computer and booted with the aid of the jailbreak app. For iOS 4.2.1 it is currently the iPhone 3G, iPhone 3GS, and iPod Touch 2G that are untethered jailbreaks, which can be achieved with redsn0w 0.9.6b6. Other iOS hardware can be jailbroken with redsn0w 0.9.6b6, but it remains tethered.

Setting your Mac up to print to a Windows print server with Active Directory is pretty straight forward, but it’s really annoying that your network credentials aren’t stored which causes the login popup screen to display. Looking for a solution to this, I came across a post at TheAppleBlog, and the author had the exact same frustrations I did. It’s not the most straight forward method in the world, but it works. You can check it out here at TheAppleBlog: Printing with Active Directory Credentials.

I’m sort of left wondering why Apple hasn’t resolved this itself within Mac OS X, or maybe they have and I haven’t found a way to implement it?