Saturday, February 23, 2013

iPad Vs the iPhone: Why I Don’t Need Both--Yet


One of the biggest misconceptions about the Apple iPad is that it is essentially a larger iPhone or iPod Touch (I’ve also heard the term “iPhone on steroids” thrown around). This is simply not true: The iPad and iPhone are completely different beasts when it comes to hardware, software, and what you can do on each device. That said, the two devices do can perform a lot of the same functions: Both allow you to play games, browse the Web, send e-mail, watch videos, and listen to music.
So if you’re already an iPhone owner, do you need the iPad too? The answer depends on how you currently use your iPhone--and on what you want out of the iPad. Think of it this way: If you’ve ever found yourself wanting more from your iPhone, you might consider investing in an iPad. Do you watch a lot of videos on your iPhone? If so, you’ve probably wished that the display were larger. Are you a gamer? iPad games blow iPhone games out of the water.
My conclusion: I’m an iPhone 3GS owner. And at the moment, I’m not rushing to the store to buy an iPad--though I'm open to changing my mind. But don’t let my indecisiveness sway you. Consider these factors.

Price: Deep Pockets Required
For obvious reasons, the iPad is a much bigger investment than the iPhone 3GS. Pricing depends on the amount of storage the iPad includes, and on whether it has support for 3G networks. An iPad equipped only with Wi-Fi connectivity costs $500 (16GB), $600 (32GB), or $700 (64GB). The Wi-Fi-plus-3G version, available later this month, will cost $130 more at each size--$630 (16GB), $730 (32GB), and $830 (64GB). Of course, if you get the 3G version, you’ll also have to pay for a data plan--either $15 a month for 250MB of data, or $30 a month for unlimited data.
By comparison, the iPhone 3G is $100 while the newer and faster iPhone 3GS starts at $200 (with a two-year contract). Unlimited 3G data plans for the iPhone cost $30 as well on top of your voice and text rates. Call me cheap, but the thought of paying for two separate data plans makes me shudder.
Be prepared to shell out a lot of money for content, too: My PCWorld colleagues who picked up iPads today have already put significant dents in their wallets by purchasing apps, which range in price from free to $20--a bit more expensive than the equivalent iPhone apps, typically. And if you plan on scooping up books through Apple’s iBooks Store, expect to pay around $12 to $15 (though there are a few cheaper titles, as well as free iBooks). As an avid reader and a fan of ridiculous iPhone games, I don’t think I’d be able to support my habit on the iPad.

Hefty Hardware
Another thing to consider is how you’re going to tote the 9.6-by-7.5-by-0.5-inch-thick iPad around. Unless you invest in a pair of iPants, you can’t exactly toss it in your pocket. And I’m not a fan of hauling a lot of stuff around on my person, so the iPhone is a better match for me. Though 1.5 pounds doesn’t seem like much weight, I think carrying the iPad around all day might take a toll on my shoulders. Also a protective case is a must: Do not throw this thing unprotected into your backpack among your other junk. The display can crack and the back scratches easily. Don’t believe me? Check out our iPad Stress Test video. I’m constantly dropping my iPhone, so I’m afraid of how I’d handle the iPad.
On the upside, the iPad’s multimedia features trump the iPhone’s. Obviously, watching videos is superior on the iPad’s 9.7-inch display. And have you ever tried listening to music via your iPhone’s external speakers? Music sounds weak and slightly tinny--definitely not ideal for an audiophile like me. I was pleasantly surprised by the iPad’s speakers, however. My music sounded loud and the quality was pretty clean.
Also, while I’m satisfied with Web browsing on the iPhone, it's a pleasure to be able to comfortably view a full page on the iPad.

Native Applications: Better on the iPad
The iPhone and the iPad have many of the same core native apps (the iPhone runs iPhone OS 3.1, while the iPad runs iPhone OS 3.2), but a few of the iPad’s have been optimized to take advantage of the bigger screen. The e-mail application, for example, in landscape mode shows recent messages and a search bar at the left, and displays the selected message at the right--a useful layout that simply isn’t possible on the iPhone's smaller screen. The Photo Viewer is equally cool: The app lets you preview many more images, more easily than on the iPhone. There are also more ways of viewing your images on the iPad, including some cool slideshow options. I also love the way the contacts application resembles a physical address book.

Cooler Apps
No question, apps optimized for the iPad look incredible. Hardcore gamers in particular will be impressed. But as more of a casual gamer, I’m okay with playing my (much smaller) games on my iPhone. The same goes for other applications. I tweet a couple of times a day and am fine with Tweetdeck on my iPhone. But frequent Twitter users might get a lot more out of Tweetdeck on the iPad: You can tweet from multiple accounts, easily geolocate tweets via a built-in map, and view many more of your friends’ updates at once.
Though I appreciate all that the iPad can do, I’m pretty satisfied with my iPhone 3GS and I won’t be rushing over to the Apple Store any time soon. I’ve only spent a day with the iPad, though, so my opinion might change--especially as more cool apps roll out.

Friday, February 1, 2013

Iphone 5 Best Deals

Is Walmart's no-contract, $45-a-month iPhone 5 really the best deal out there?
The retailer's dirt cheap monthly plan could save you hundreds, but there might be another great option for you, if you're flexible
   
If you like having extra cash, consider getting your new iPhone from Walmart or Sprint.
If you like having extra cash, consider getting your new iPhone from Walmart or Sprint.
   

This week Walmart sucker-punched the mobile industry when it announced that it would start selling iPhones for a ridiculous deal using Straight Talk, a no-contract carrier: $45 a month for unlimited talk, text, and data. Or you can pay $60 a month to add unlimited international calls to select countries.
That sound you hear is AT&T and Verizon trying to get their wind back.
You'll have to pay the full unsubsidized price for a phone up front — $449 for the iPhone 4 and $649 for the iPhone 5 — but you'll wind up saving a huge chunk of change in the long run. After two years, an iPhone 5 would cost a buyer $1,729 total, while the same plan from AT&T would cost $3,550. That's $1,821 in savings over two years.
But is it really the best deal out there? Frederick E. Allen at Forbes breaks down another, cheaper option for people who don't need to have the iPhone 5. 
Sprint Nextel's Virgin Mobile offers the iPhone 4 for $349.99 ($100 less than Walmart) and the iPhone 4S for $449.99 with a great plan in its own right. You'll get:
1. Unlimited data
2. Unlimited texts
3. Options for voice minutes: 300 a month for $35; 1,200 for $45; or unlimited minutes for $55
If you're not a big talker (sorry Mom), you can get the 300-minute plan and pay just $1,189 over two years. That saves you $340 compared to Walmart's cheapest deal with the iPhone 4.
Of course, your phone will be a full two generations behind and won't come with high-speed LTE (increasingly the standard). But these no-contract deals are worth taking a hard look at if your contract's almost up and you like having hundreds of extra dollars to line your pockets with.

Tuesday, January 29, 2013

Hidden Garden


Take a journey in this beautiful hidden object adventure game. Relax and enjoy the gorgeous scenery.Amazon Appstore for Android click and get it for FREE.

Friday, January 18, 2013

20 Tips And Tricks To Get The Most Out Of Your New iPhone

Twitter on iPhone

iPhones are great at doing basic things like making phone calls, sending text messages, and checking emails.But did you know that they can do so much more to automate our lives and make tasks easier?
If you got a new iPhone for the holidays, here are some essential tips and tricks to get you started.
By the way, most of these tricks will also work on your new iPad too!

If you have an iPhone 5, know how to turn LTE off to save battery.

If you have an iPhone 5, know how to turn LTE off to save battery.
This tip will save some battery life when you're in a pinch.
Start by going to settings, next head to general, and finally tap cellular. The second option is a toggle for "Enable LTE." When you need to save some battery and can spare internet speed, switch this option off.

 

 

Lock your phone's screen orientation

Lock your phone's screen orientation
To lock your screen orientation, double tap the home button and swipe to the right. You'll see a gray circle opposite the rewind button.
Tap that one time and a lock will appear. Now when you turn your phone sideways the orientation will stay put.

 

 

Set an alphanumeric passcode

Set an alphanumeric passcode
Setting an alpha numeric password can add an extra layer of protection to your phone. 
To enable, first head to Settings.
Next, tap general, navigate to the middle of the page, and select passcode lock.
Turn "Simple Passcode" off and you will be prompted to enter your alpha numeric password.

 

 

Tweet a photo directly from your Camera Roll

Tweet a photo directly from your Camera Roll
Head to your camera roll and select a photo. In the bottom left hand corner you'll see an arrow icon. Tap that and a menu will come up.
Choose "Twitter" in the middle row and a menu will come up with the photo attached in the top right corner.
Type your tweet, tap Send, and you're done.

 

 

Make the iPod app stop playing music after a set amount of time

Make the iPod app stop playing music after a set amount of time
This tip is handy if you ever fall asleep listening to music. 
After you've selected a song in the Music app, head to the the clock app.
Select the timer option in the bottom right hand corner and set a specific time.
Below the time, there is an option that says, "When Timer Ends ..." tap that.
At the very bottom of the list is an option for "Stop Playing." Select this and when the timer is up it will stop the iPod from playing.


Automatically download new apps directly on your iPhone

Automatically download new apps directly on your iPhone
This is a handy feature if you have a lot of Apple devices. You can make it so that apps and music automatically download on all your devices.
Head to settings and navigate to the middle of the page. After that select the "Store" option.
Once inside under "Automatic Downloads" switch on the options for Music, Apps, or both.

 

 

Change the font in your Notes app

Change the font in your Notes app
If you're tired of the note app's marker font, you can quickly change it.
Start by going to Settings, then navigate to Notes.
In this menu you can easily switch between three fonts.

 

 

While in Apple's Mail app you can just pull down from the top to check for new messages.

While in Apple's Mail app you can just pull down from the top to check for new messages.

 

 

Speaking of Mail...

Speaking of Mail...
If you want to get back to a draft quickly, touch and hold the Compose button to switch to your last saved draft.






Add PDFs from Safari to your iBooks or other apps. From a Mail message or a web page, touch and hold the PDF icon or link, then select “Open in iBooks.”

Add PDFs from Safari to your iBooks or other apps. From a Mail message or a web page, touch and hold the PDF icon or link, then select “Open in iBooks.”















 

 

Speed up your phone by selecting what Spotlight indexes.

Speed up your phone by selecting what Spotlight indexes.
Spotlight is a useful tool for finding stuff on your phone, but if you've set it to search your entire phone for every single item present then it can take some time.
Have it only search items you care about by starting at Settings, then select General, and finally choose Spotlight search.
You can select what your phone indexes and speed up the interface.

 

 

 Change your phone's name, directly on your device

Change your phone's name, directly on your device
You couldn't do this in previous versions, but iOS 5 introduced the ability to change your phone's name directly on the device. Before you had to do this through iTunes.
Changing your phone's name can give it personality. (SAI editor Jay Yarow calls his "Tumor Toy." We dare you to do better.)
You have to dig a little to get to this one. Start by going to Settings. Next head to General, and then About.
At the top of the page you'll see your iPhone's name—tap it and you can change it to whatever you like.

 

 

View websites in full screen...

View websites in full screen...
This ones easy...while browsing a web site in Safari, turn your iPhone to the side (landscape) and tap the full-screen icon (arrows coming together in the bottom right) and you can view a website without distraction.

 

 

Create a custom vibration

Create a custom vibration
Creating a custom vibration can let you know who is calling or texting you without having to look at the phone.
You can make a vibration as long or short as you like.
To do this one, head to Settings, then tap "Sounds" at the bottom of the page. You'll be able to select custom vibration or record your own. 

 

 

Enable Private Browsing for Safari

Enable Private Browsing for Safari
Make sure that your browsing stays private by turning this option on.
Start in settings, next head to Safari, and in the middle of the page switch Private Browsing on.

 

 

Use the Emoji keyboard to give your email or texts some flair.

Use the Emoji keyboard to give your email or texts some flair.
To enable Emoji first head to the settings app. Tap general, scroll down and tap keyboard, from there you'll see another option a bit down the page, and you'll see "Keyboards," tap that.
From there you'll want to select, "Add new keyboard," once inside that menu you'll scroll down until you see "Emoji".
Select Emoji. Leave out of settings by pressing the home button and head to a text, note, or new email message.
Start typing and you'll see a globe icon in the bottom left corner tap that once to toggle between the alpha-numeric keyboard and the Emoji keyboard. 

 

 

Take advantage of iOS 6's 'Do Not Disturb' feature.

Take advantage of iOS 6's 'Do Not Disturb' feature.
Right inside the settings menu is one of Apple's latest iPhone features, "Do Not Disturb." You can switch this on at night or when you do not want to be bothered by your phone. 
Right below Do Not Disturb is an option for Notifications. 
The Notifications menu will allow you to tweak Do Not Disturb allowing it to turn off at a certain time or who you can receive calls from.
Optional settings for Do Not Disturb:
  • Scheduled: Automatically enable Do Not Disturb between the hours you specify.
  • Allow Calls From: Allow calls from everyone, no one, your favorites, or specific contact groups.
  • Repeated Calls: If someone calls you twice within three minutes, the call will not be silenced.

Take a screenshot of your screen 

Take a screenshot of your screen

Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button, then press the Home button. Your screen flashes and the picture appears in your Camera Roll.

 

 

 

 Use Siri discreetly...

Use Siri discreetly...
In case you don't want to yell out your question to Siri and have her broadcast it back to you try this trick:
Head to settings, next general, then Siri.
The last option in the list will be "Raise to Speak." Switch that on and the next time you raise your phone to your ear Siri will activate.

 

 

 

 Use Siri to set location-based reminders

Use Siri to set location-based reminders
This tip comes straight from Apple: 
You probably know Siri can be used to set a reminder, like saying "Siri, remind me to call mom at 4pm today." But did you know you can set location-based reminders on your iPhone 4S? Say "Remind me to call mom when I leave here" or "Remind me to call mom when I get home" and you'll be notified accordingly.






Wednesday, January 16, 2013

iPhone 4 vs iPhone 5

September 12, 2012 Apple presented new iPhone 5. What will delight us the new iPhone? This comparison between Apple iPhone models iPhone 4 (4s) vs iPhone 5. The main difference iPhone 4 vs iPhone 5 become: larger screen, FaceTime camera, Nano-SIM card, processor speed and new iOS 6. Let's compare the smartphones features in detail.
Dimensions iPhone 4 vs iPhone 5

IPhone 5 dimensions: Height: 123.8mm, Width: 58.6mm, Depth: 7.6mm, Weight: 112grams;
IPhone 4s dimensions: Height: 115.2 mm, Width: 58.6mm, Depth: 9.3mm, Weight: 140 grams;
IPhone 4 dimensions: Height: 115.2mm, Width: 58.6mm, Depth: 9.3mm, Weight: 137 grams;
iPhone 5 has a 4 inches screen size vs 3.5 inches iPhone 4 and 4s screens; therefore the height of iPhone 5 more than height of iPhone 4 (4s). IPhone 5 has a resolution 1136x640 vs 960x640 iPhone4’s resolution of Retina display. Even so, the new iPhone 5 lighter and thinner than its predecessors!
Cellular and Wireless

iPhone 5 have appeared HSPA+, DC-HSDPA standards, Wi-Fi 802.11n on 2.4GHz and 5GHz, GLONASS support vs iPhone 4, where there was no support. All other basic wireless characteristics of all iPhones models are identical.
Chipset

IPhone 5 has A6 chip vs A5 iPhone 4S chip and iPhone 4 with A4.
iPhone 5 camera & video VS iPhone 4 (4s):

iSight Camera of iPhone5 is no different from 4s, but differ from iPhone4: 8 megapixel with Face detection, Hybrid IR filter and panorama VS 5 megapixels iPhone 4’s camers. The FaceTime camera of new iPhone has become a new 1.2 megapixel photos and 720p HD video VS iPhone 4s VGA-camera.
Other iPhone 4 and 4s features vs features of iPhone 5

Spite of the fact that the new device is lighter and faster of iPhone 4s, iPhone 5 has an improved battery. IPhone 5 Battery life Up to 8 hours on 3G, 10 hours on Wi-Fi and 225 hours on standby time VS 6h 3G browsing, 9h Wi-Fi and 200h stand by. Another good improvement was headphones. The sound is better and cleaner. The sound is better, and more comfortable iPhone 5 earphones with storage and travel case.
iPhone 4 VS iPhone 5 price

And the main question: how much is iPhone 5? iPhone 5 is available in three versions. iPhone 5 price 16GB from $199, 32GB from $299 and 64GB - $399. IPhone 4s price is $99 and it available with 16GB memory. iPhone 4 you can get FREE with wireless carrier contract.

It is important to remember: iPhone 5 has nano-SIM card and not compatible with previous micro-SIM cards. USB-connectors are also incompatible, but you can buy an original 30-pin to lightning connection adapter in the Apple Store.

Thursday, January 10, 2013

Do not touch MY iPhone. It's not an usPhone, it's not a wePhone, it's not an ourPhone, it's an iPhone.

Wednesday, January 9, 2013

Want Perfect Copies of All You Media?


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Want Perfect Copies of All You Media?


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25 (more) awesome iPhone tips and tricks

In case you missed our first round-up of 25 assorted iPhone tips and tricks, be sure to read these simple ways you can get more out of your smartphone investment.
In the first post we covered everything from how to dry out a wet iPhone and fixing those dang "autocorrect" issues to using the phone cord to take a picture (and why) and making your own ringtone without having to pay your carrier.
And now we've got another 25 awesome things to try with your iPhone, many of which you weren't aware of.
And hey, if you have any tips of your own to share, be sure to leave them in the Comments section at the bottom — so you can get credit where it's due.
Here we go:
http://l.yimg.com/bt/api/res/1.2/BL5WJBcp1QO4DwmT3D1ySA--/YXBwaWQ9eW5ld3M7cT04NQ--/http://mit.zenfs.com/645/2012/07/iPhone-a.jpgTurn iBooks into audio books: Like most smartphones, the iPhone has a number of accessibility options. One feature is called VoiceOver and it can read aloud any text on the screen. While designed primarily for the seeing impaired, anyone can take advantage of this feature if they want to turn an e-book into an audiobook. Now you can listen while commuting to and from work, while closing your eyes in bed or when jogging down the street. To activate it, go to Settings, then General, followed by Accessibility. Finally, swipe to change VoiceOver from Off to On. You'll also be able to tweak settings, such as the speed of voice reading to you. She sounds like the voice of Siri, by the way.
Quick access a draft email: You probably know you can start an email and save it as a draft to finish or review at a later time -- if not, when you're typing an email, tap Cancel and then select Save Draft — but here's a super quick way to access your message draft when you're ready to continue working on it: Open up the Mail app, touch and hold the Compose button (the icon of the small pencil in the square) and after a second or two it'll automatically take you to your last saved message draft. Neat, huh? Otherwise, you need to open Mail, select the email account, select Drafts and then find the message.
Send multiple photos at the same time: To send multiple photos to the same contact (say, in an email or iMessage), open the Photos app and then tap on an album, such as Camera Roll. Now tap the Select icon in the top right of your iPhone screen. Now you can tap to choose any photo you'd like to send to someone. Once you've selected the desired pics, tap Share in the bottom right of the screen and you'll have three options: Email, Message or Print.
Tell Siri the entire email: iPhone 4S owners probably go through a lengthy back-and-forth with Siri just to compose an email. Most people say the person's name and then, when prompted, the subject line, and finally, the body of the email. But did you know you can do it all in one fell swoop? For example, hold down the home button and say "Remind my wife about the party and say don't forget to pick up a bottle of red wine tonight." Siri will know who your spouse is (or will ask you once) and place that in the To: field, and because you said "about" the party, Siri knows you want that in the Subject (Re:) field. You also said "and say," which places words you said after that into the body of the email. This will all save you time.
Close open apps to save battery life: Make sure apps you're no longer using are not open and draining the battery. Do this by double-tapping the Home button and you'll see all the recently used apps running in the background along the bottom of your phone -- such as a GPS app you no longer need because you've reached your destination. Press and hold an icon and they'll all jiggle, which means you can tap the X to close the open apps at the bottom of your iPhone.
Tweet from any app: If you scour comments and message boards on the web you'll find iPhone users who complain the integrated Twitter support isn't working for them. Chances are it's because they didn't know they had to sign in first — but it's only required once. Go to Settings on your iPhone, select Twitter (look for the little white bird on a blue background) and enter your Twitter handle (or email) and password. Now, you can tweet directly from apps like Safari, Photos, Camera, Maps and YouTube. Also remember that you can start typing a friend's Twitter handle and the iPhone will autocomplete the rest.
Undo the Bluetooth "ignore" command: If you've ever paired Bluetooth products with your iPhone then you're likely aware you can also choose to "Ignore This Device." There are different reasons why you'd want to do this, but sometimes you tap this option accidentally or you might change your mind after the fact. Now you won't see the wireless gadget you want to pair with. What to do? To have it show up on the list again, simply turn off your iPhone by pressing and holding the power button (on top of the phone) for a few seconds and then swipe to shut down. When you boot back up again you'll see the Bluetooth device you previously ignored.
Siri can handle Facebook, Twitter: The iO6 update will add native Facebook and Twitter support this fall, but until then, you can still use your voice to tweet or update your status. It involves setting up these popular social networking services to work with text messaging. For Facebook, text the word "hello" to 32665 (which spells FBOOK on a traditional keypad). You'll get an automated reply on your phone with a link to click to finish the setup. Finally, add the short code to your address book and rename it "Facebook." Now you can tell Siri "Text Facebook," followed by your status update. It's the same process for Twitter, as you'll want to enable mobile updates by sending a short code to Twitter. Then you'll add the short code to your Contacts, name it "Twitter" and then instruct Siri to send a message there. To get going, text the word "start" to 40404 (U.S.) or 21212 (Canada).
Lock the screen orientation: Does it drive you nuts to have the iPhone screen flip around when you rotate the phone? You can prevent this from happening if you have no desire to swap between portrait and landscape view. Simply choose the orientation you prefer by tilting the device and then double-click the Home button. This will bring up the multitasking interface at the bottom of the iPhone. Now swipe from left to right and you'll see a "portrait orientation lock" icon at the very left of this string of apps (it has a circular arrow on the icon). Tap it once to lock your orientation and you'll see a padlock appear. Turn it off by tapping it again.
Add PDFs to iBooks: You don't need to spend money on apps that let you read Adobe PDF (Portable Document Format) files. Instead, if you get a PDF as an attachment in an email, or see one on a website in Safari (or another iPhone browser), simply press and hold the PDF icon or link and you'll see an option appear called "Open in iBooks." Select this and you'll be able to read the PDF in the iBooks app. In fact, all your PDFs will now be stored here. Simply tap the word Books in the iBooks app (top, center of screen) and now select PDFs to see them all on the virtual bookshelf. You can delete them from this screen, too, if desired.
Master the keyboard: In the first 25 Awesome iPhone Tricks post we cover how to add your own shortcuts and quickly accept or refuse autocorrect suggestions. But here's a few other keyboard related tips: tap the space bar twice and the iPhone will add a period and capitalize the next word; quickly capitalize a word by pressing on the Shift (arrow) button and dragging your finger to the first letter of the word; to enter a number or symbol quickly, touch and hold, then select the key you want (lifting your finger returns you to the alphabet keyboard); and touch and hold a letter to reveal a list of special characters, such as à, á, â, ä, æ, ã and å, when you press and hold on "a." Hey, now you can type "Mötley Crüe" properly.
Siri is a verbal calculator, too: You might know Siri on iPhone 4S can give you facts and definitions on-demand but "she" can also solve math problems for you, too (this is where students, off for the summer say "so NOW you tell me"). Just give Siri a verbal task, be it addition, subtraction, multiplication, division, equations or fractions — and you'll see (not hear) the answer on the screen. Better yet, this is very handy when figuring out tip at a restaurant. For example, say you're out with three friends and the bill comes to $300. You can ask Siri something like "What's a 20 percent tip on $300, for four people?" and Siri will tell you everyone owes $15.
Swipe to delete messages: This one is pretty simple, but you'd be surprised how many people do it the longer way: to delete an unwanted email, text message or voicemail without opening them, just swipe across the message from right to left when you see it in list view and tap the red Delete button. Instead, many iPhone users waste time by opening up each and every message and tapping the small trash can at the bottom of the screen. On a related note, you can delete unwanted emails in bulk rather than deleting one at a time: In your Inbox, simply click the Edit button and check off the emails you want to delete with your finger and then choose Delete.
Tap to focus the camera: Those who regularly use the iPhone as a camera might know this simple trick: When you're snapping photos or shooting video on your iPhone — and seeing the subject on your screen as you line up the shot -- tap the screen where you want to iPhone to focus and it'll adjust the exposure and white balance automatically for that area. For example, you might want your friend's face in perfect focus or might opt for a more artsy shot of the sushi they're holding in their chopsticks by focusing the camera on the food. You get the idea.
Manage your camera time: Here's another tip when using the camera. Unless you're running out of room, never delete unwanted photos from your iPhone when you're out. Why? You really don't know what the photo looks like until you see it much bigger on a computer monitor (it may be better than you think and/or fixable with software). Plus, spending time deleting photos on your smartphone right after you took them means you might miss an awesome shot because you're not paying attention. And finally, deleting photos and videos off your iPhone unnecessarily drains the battery.
Add folders to the dock: Since iOS 4, you've been able to create a folder to store many similar apps on your home screen — this helps you better group your programs and find them easier. (Just press and hold an app until they squiggle, then drag and drop it onto another app). But did you know you could also create folders and add them to your dock at the bottom of the iPhone? Once you've got your folders created — and you can create or edit the name for the folder by pressing and holding the icon — simply drag it to the bottom of the iPhone screen for easy access. You can only have four icons at a time, so you might gave to move one there to your homescreen to make room.
Hold your iPhone like a camera: If you don`t like take a photo on your iPhone by pressing the virtual shutter button on the screen — after all, it's not the most comfortable and could cause the iPhone to shake when you snap the picture — then remember you can now take a photo by pressing the volume button on the side of your iPhone, which will be on top — in the same place as a shutter button on a regular camera!
Preview that picture: On a related note, if you want to preview the photo you just took, just drag your finger from left to right in the Camera app for a preview. Most people will tap the icon in the lower-left of the screen and open up the photos manually. If you haven't taken any photos or videos lately, swipe from left to right in the Camera app will start to show your Camera Roll, from newest to oldest, as you continue to swipe along.
Easily control your music: When you're listening to music on your iPhone and using the earbuds that shipped with them, you might be aware you can press once on the small controller in the middle of the headphone cord to pause the music, and press again to play. But did you know you could quickly double tap to skip to the next song and triple-tap to listen to the previous song? Also, iPhone 4S users can use Siri to play music, such as saying "Play Jay Z" or "Play other music like this" or "Play playlist workout mix."
Quickly add a calendar entry: You might've noticed when reading an email in the Mail app it'll automatically underline anything related to date and time. For example, you're typing to your buddy something like "Don't forget we're hooking up for drinks on Friday afternoon." iPhone will detect this is a date or time and will convert it to a link -- your friend will see "on Friday afternoon" underlined and in blue — and they could tap the link to add the event to their calendar.
Sync it all: Computer? What computer? You need not connect your iPhone to your PC or Mac every again if you activate the iCloud service. Automatically back-up your iPhone information to iCloud by going to Settings, iCloud and finally Storage and Back-Up. Also, be sure to select what gets synched over Wi-Fi (or if you prefer, 3G, too, though be aware of data costs). You can choose to sync Mail, Contacts, Calendars, Reminders, Bookmarks, Notes, Photos and more. You get 5GB of free storage through iCloud, but can pay for more if you like. Also, while here, activate "Find My iPhone" so you can track your phone if missing or stolen (see here).
Enable restrictions: Whether it's on your iPhone or your child's iPod touch or iPad, you can block inappropriate content from your kids (such as music with explicit lyrics), prevent them from buying apps (or in-app purchases) and block YouTube, Safari, FaceTime and more. To enable restrictions — and then customize what they're able to access -- go to Settings, General, Restrictions and tap "Enable Restrictions." You will first be promoted to select a 4-digit passcode before choosing which content and apps can be accessed.
Delete your memory-hogging apps: Beginning with the iOS 5 update, you can see how much space your apps are taking up on your iPhone and delete them from your device — even a bunch at once. To do this, tap Settings, followed by General and finally, Usage. From here you'll see a list of all your apps and their file size. If you see that Max Payne game is 1.3 Gigabytes and you don't play it anymore, tap to delete it. You can always reinstall it later of via iCloud, App Store or your computer.
Save battery by turning off "pushed" data: Another way to prolong battery performance is to off push notifications in email, instant messaging and other applications that constantly ping a server to push real-time notifications to your smartphone. That is, if you don't need to know this kind of information right away. In Settings, select the option that says Mail, Contacts and Calendars, tap "Fetch New Data" and change it from Push to Every 30 Minutes, Hourly or Manually.
Turn on the "Emoji" (emotions) keyboard: Ever notice how some of your friends have cute little emoticons in their emails or text messages. You know, like a little yellow face with hearts for eyes, teddy bears, Christmas trees, and so on? By default, your iPhone doesn't give you access to these emotions and other graphics — but it is stored on your phone and ready when you are. To enable the Emoji keyboard, go to Settings, then General and finally Keyboard. Once inside, tap International Keyboards and "add" new keyboard. Select "Emoji." Now, when typing an email or text, tap the globe key near the space bar for these new options. Tap it again to return back to English.

10 essential iPhone tips, new and old

The iPhone is known for its simplicity, but not everything about it is obvious. Beyond its straightforward grid of apps lies plenty of tricks that make Apple's phone easier to use.
Here are 10 essential iPhone tips and tricks, starting with some basics and moving up to more advanced maneuvers:
Tap up top to scroll back up
If you're ever at the bottom of a long web page or app and need to get back to the top, don't bother scrolling. Instead, just tap the top of the screen, and the iPhone will scroll all the way back up on its own. This one's an all-time classic, and hard to live without once you know it's there.
Double-tap home and swipe for quick controls
You may already know that you can double tap the iPhone's home button to bring up a list of most recent apps, but not everyone realizes that this menu swipes in both directions. Swipe from left to right, and you'll get quick access to rotation lock and music playback controls. Swipe again in the same direction for a volume slider.
Double-tap home for lock screen music controls
For fast access to music controls while your iPhone's screen is locked, just double tap the home button. The great thing about this feature is that it works with whatever audio app is currently in use, not just the built-in Music player.
Take a panoramic photo from either direction
In iOS 6, the iPhone's camera app has a built-in panorama feature, which you can access through the camera's Options menu. By default, you must pan the iPhone from left to right to capture a panorama, but you can reverse the direction by tapping the arrow on the screen. Note that this feature only works on the iPhone 5 and iPhone 4S.
Streamline street names in iOS 6 Maps
Apple's new Maps app is a work in progress, but you can already make it better with one simple tweak: Under iPhone Settings, go to the Maps section and change the label size to small. The smaller text allows more street names to appear on screen at once, so you don't have to zoom in to see them all. The layout looks a bit cleaner too--provided your vision is good enough to read smaller words.
New Siri trick: Raise to Speak
Don't want your dialog with Siri to be heard? Go to Settings > General > Siri and turn on "Raise to Speak." When enabled, and the screen is on, Siri will start listening when you hold the phone up to your ear--as indicated by a chime--and she'll respond to queries through the iPhone's earpiece instead of the external speakers. You might even fool some people into thinking it's a real conversation. (For more Siri tricks and tips, check out my post from last year.)
Attach a photo or video in Mail
Yes, Apple really did take five years to let people attach photos and videos from directly within the Mail app. Just tap and hold anywhere in the message body to bring up a small pop-up box. The option to "Insert Photo or Video" will appear unless the e-mail already contains text, in which case you'll have to tap the little arrow on the right side of the pop-up to see the option.
Set a time range for do not disturb
Do Not Disturb is a new feature in iOS 6 that lets you silence all incoming text messages, phone calls and notifications. You can toggle Do Not Disturb under Settings, or you can set up daily quiet hours by going to Settings > Notifications and selecting Do Not Disturb at the top of the screen. From there, you can set a time range, always allow calls from certain contacts and prevent silencing on repeated calls.
Keep your photos backed up without plugging In
There are several ways to make backups of your iPhone photos without going through iTunes. The built-in solution is Apple's Photo Stream, which makes your last 30 days' worth of photos available on almost any device. Turn on Photo Stream by going to Settings > Photos & Camera, and your photos will automatically show up on your other iOS devices and Macs. To access Photo Stream on a Windows PC, you must download Apple's iCloud Control Panel, which creates a Photo Stream folder under "Favorites" in Windows Explorer.
Photo Stream isn't the only way to back up your photos. Google+ and Dropbox can automatically upload new photos every time you their respective apps, so you'll always have online copies available from any Internet-connected device.
Set up push Gmail or Hotmail
If you're a true e-mail addict, setting up Gmail or Hotmail through the preset "Add Account" dialog isn't good enough, because it can't immediately push new messages to the phone. Instead, you can set up these inboxes through Microsoft Exchange, so new emails get pushed right to your iPhone.
To get started, go to Settings > Mail, Contacts, Calendars > Add Account... and select Microsoft Exchange. On the next page, enter your full e-mail address, password and whatever inbox name you'd like, then hit "Next."
More options will appear. Enter "m.google.com" or "m.hotmail.com" in the Server field, leave the Domain field blank, enter your full e-mail address in the Username field, and your password in the Password field. Hit "Next," and on the next page, deselect Contacts and Calendars unless you want to overwrite your phone's existing contacts and calendar. Hit "Save," and you're good to go.

Tuesday, January 8, 2013

Fixing Your iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 Water Damage





Drop your iPhone 4 or iPhone 3GS in the washing machine? If that's so, here's what you need to do without delay to help save your iPhone 3gs or iPhone 4. If this article's step-by-step guide doesn't show results, there's information in the bottom on how to work with Apple to correct your iPhone 3gs/iPhone 4 or get a new one from the Apple Store.
  Basic Steps to go by for that water spoiled iPhone:
 1. SHUT OFF THE IPHONE RIGHT AWAY!
2. DO NOT TURN ON THE PHONE until finishing all of the steps. Flipping on the iPhone when there is water inside may cause the phone to short circuit.
3. Take off your iPhone cover and then remove the SimCard.
4. Shake out any additional water.
5. Use a blow dryer on the lowest heat for 15 minutes and try to heat up the phone lightly so that any existing water can easily escape from the phone. Use low heat!
6. Stick the iPhone in a bag of uncooked rice and be certain that it is completely covered. Switch the rice each day. The uncooked rice will certainly soak up moisture and helps take out any additional water within the iPhone. Leave the iPhone in the rice for 48-72 hours for ideal results.
7. Take your iPhone out of the rice and confirm if it works. If it doesn't work or if you feel excess water in the iPhone, repeat steps 4, 5, and 6. Keep the iPhone inside of the rice for another 4-5 days and check again redoing the process until the iPhone works correctly.
8. This process works best if your iPhone was in water under 30 minutes. If the process does not work after multiple attempts, continue reading.

Apple's Policy for iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 Water Damage:

Apple has defined the spots where the water indicators are found on their website. iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 are equipped with Liquid Contact Indicators at the base of the headphone jack. iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 models will also have an indicator on the bottom of the dock-connector housing. These indicators are set off and flipped PINK the moment they come in direct exposure to water or even a liquid containing water. The indicators are specially designed not to be set off by humidity and temperature changes.

If the pink indicator is visible, it indicates that your service for liquid damage is not included through the Apple one (1) year limited warranty or AppleCare Protection Plan (APP). However, you may switch your malfunctioning phone with a refurbished iPhone for $199 from the Apple Store compared to the full priced iPhone. Also, if you purchased your iPhone 3GS/iPhone 4 from Best Buy or used a credit card that offers protection/insurance on your iPhone, you might be able to get some money back or even the iPhone for free. Check all of the options prior to your decision to repurchase .