iPhone Typing Tricks

Once you’re comfortable with the keyboard, there are further ways to make typing easier. Here are a few more iPhone typing tricks you can use to make your keyboard entry faster and easier.


Contractions
When you want to type a contraction like can’t or shouldn’t, don’t bother putting in the apostrophe. The iPhone is smart enough to guess that cant is can’t. Of course, if you’re referring to a slope or tilt, be sure to tap the word itself to decline the change from the noun to the contraction.

If you’re typing a word like we’ll, where the uncontracted word well is a common word, just add an extra l. The iPhone corrects welll to we’ll and shelll to she’ll.

TIP: Other contraction tricks include itsa, which gets corrected to its, and weree, which gets corrected to we’re.


Punctuation Dragging
If you plan to use only one item of punctuation at a time, such as a comma or period, save time by dragging. Drag from the .?123 button to the item you want to include. By starting the drag at .?123, the iPhone switches momentarily to the numbers and punctuation view. After selecting your item, the keyboard automatically bounces back to the alphabet.

TIP: Another punctuation trick for the end of sentences is to tap .?123, the punctuation item you want to use, and then the spacebar. The iPhone is smart enough to recognize the end of a sentence and put you back in alphabet mode. You can also double-tap the spacebar to add a period followed by a space.


Accents
Tap and hold any keyboard letter to view accented versions of that letter. For example, tapping and holding N presents you with the option of adding n, ´n, or ñ. This shortcut makes it much easier to type foreign words.

If you need to do a lot of typing in a foreign language, you can add new keyboards to your iPhone by going to Settings ➤ General ➤ Keyboard, tapping International Keyboards, and then adding the keyboards you need from a palette of 51 that are available. To use the keyboards to enter text, open a keyboard, and then tap the small globe to the left of the spacebar, which will display a list of the international keyboards you have installed. Yes, you too can write in Russian on any iPhone.


Caps Lock
To enable Caps Lock, go to Settings ➤ General ➤ Keyboard Preferences. When that’s enabled, you can double-tap the Caps button to toggle the lock on and off.


Deleting Multiple Words at a Time
When you press and hold the Delete key, it starts off by deleting one letter and then the next. But if you hold it for longer than about a line of text, it switches to word deletion and starts removing entire words at a time, making it easier to clear text quickly.


Autocapitalization
Autocapitalization means the iPhone automatically capitalizes the start of sentences. So, you can type the day has begun, and the iPhone is smart enough to capitalize the: “The day has begun.” This means you don’t have to worry about pressing the Shift key at the beginning of every sentence or even when you type i because i went to the park becomes I went to the park.

TIP: Enable or disable autocapitalization in Settings ➤ General ➤ Keyboard Preferences.


iPhone Typing Test
You may be curious just how fast you can type on your iPhone keyboard. There are several apps in the App Store that can test your typing speed. Search the App Store for typing test to find those apps.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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Organizing iPhone Apps with Folders

iOS 4 brought a smile to the face of many longtime iPhone users with the addition of folders. Previously, app icons could not be organized except by locating them all on the same page. Each page could contain up to 16 apps, so if you had a lot of apps, you were often flipping through ten or more screens of apps to find the one you needed.

Now, iOS 4 provides folders. Each folder can hold up to 12 apps, and each Home screen can have up to 12 folders—that’s 144 apps per screen, not including those in the Home row at the bottom of the iPhone display.

Here are some tips on creating and using folders:
» To organize similar apps into folders, tap and hold one app until it begins to wiggle, and then drag and drop it on another app of the same type. For example, to create a game folder, you can tap and hold the Angry Birds app icon until it wiggles and then drag it over to the icon and drop it. Since both apps are in the Games category of the iTunes App Store, the iPhone automatically selects Games as the name of the folder.

» Once a folder is created, you can add any other app (up to a total of 12) to it by repeating the process of dragging and dropping icons.

» To rename a folder, tap and hold the folder icon until it wiggles. Tap the folder icon, and the folder opens with an editable title at the top. When you’re done renaming the folder, press the Home button to save the new name.

» You can also organize your apps and folders in iTunes. With your iPhone connected to your computer, click its name under Devices in the iTunes sidebar, and then click the Apps tab. In the image on the right side of the iTunes screen, drag and drop app icons to organize them the way that you want them.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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iPhone Power Tricks

There are many ways to switch your iPhone on and off. The following are the most important methods that every iPhone owner should know.


Unlocking Your iPhone
When your iPhone has been idle for a while, it automatically locks, and the screen goes dark. When this happens, press Home. To unlock your phone, swipe the slider from the left to the right. The lock screen clears, and the Home screen springs into place.

Screen locking is a form of power saving. If your iPhone never turned off its bright display, it would go through a battery charge much faster. Shutting down the screen and going into lock mode extends your battery life and optionally allows you to protect your iPhone by requiring a passcode to use the device after it has been locked.

If it seems like your iPhone is locking too frequently, you can adjust how long it should wait before locking. Tap your way to Settings ➤ General ➤ Auto-Lock, and select how many minutes you want your iPhone to wait before going dark. Sometimes you may want to just power the iPhone off by yourself and disable autolocking. There’s a choice for that in the autolock settings, when you set the duration to Never. Make sure you have a good power source available at all times if you disable autolocking, since autolocking is a power-saving feature. Disabling it means your iPhone will use up battery power more rapidly.


Putting Your iPhone to Sleep
For iPhones, sleep mode offers a power-saving way to use your device. Press the Sleep/Wake button once. The screen turns off, and your iPhone locks and enters its lowpower mode. You can still listen to music and receive phone calls. The volume control buttons on the left side of your iPhone work, and the switch on your iPhone headset continues to control music playback and allows you to answer calls. Under iOS 4.0 on devices newer than the iPhone 3G, some apps can continue to run in the background even when the device is asleep. As an example, some location-aware apps continuously update the location of the iPhone although it is asleep. To wake up your iPhone again, press Home, and swipe to unlock.


Securing Your iPhone with a Passcode Lock
For security, you can assign a passcode lock for your iPhone. There are two types of passcodes: a simple passcode, which consists of four easily remembered and typed numbers, and a regular passcode, which can include text. When locked, your iPhone cannot be used except for emergency calls. Go to Settings ➤ General, and tap Passcode Lock to establish a new passcode. There’s a button that turns on the passcode lock feature. If a four-digit simple passcode is all you’d like to enter, make sure that the Simple Passcode switch is set to the default value of on. If you’d rather enter a text passcode, flip that switch to the off position.

Once you’ve decided what kind of passcode you want, tap Turn Passcode On to enter it. If you have chosen simple passcode, you’re prompted to enter four digits twice— once to enter the numbers and again to verify that you entered it correctly the first time. For regular passcodes, you’re prompted to enter your passcode with text, symbols, and numbers. Once again, you’ll have to enter the passcode twice to make sure that it has been entered properly.

As soon as you’ve set a passcode, you can change some other settings that are related to the passcode lock. Tap the Require Passcode button to set the time interval before your iPhone requests the passcode. Shorter times are more secure, although you’ll need to enter your passcode more frequently as a result.

If you like to use Voice Control and your iPhone or Bluetooth headset to do voice dialing or control the iPod app, slide the Voice Dial switch to on to make sure that Voice Control is always enabled, even when the phone is locked. This makes it handy for you to use a Bluetooth headset to dial and control your phone, even when it’s sitting in your pocket or in a briefcase or purse.

The final button on the Passcode Lock screen ensures absolute security in case your iPhone is lost or stolen. Sliding the Erase Data button to on will erase the contents of the iPhone if someone incorrectly enters the passcode ten times. Before you engage this setting, be sure that you know your password.

How can you test your passcode? Press the Sleep/Wake button once to put your iPhone to sleep, wait for the time interval to pass, and then wake the iPhone by either pressing the Sleep/Wake button again or pressing the Home button. A passcode challenge screen appears. Enter your passcode correctly, and your iPhone unlocks.

To remove the passcode from your iPhone, go back to the Passcode Lock screen. Tap the Turn Passcode Off button, and then reenter the passcode one more time to confirm that the rightful owner of the iPhone is making the request.

What can you do if you forget your passcode or a mean-spirited colleague adds one to your iPhone without telling you? Unfortunately, you will have to connect the iPhone to your computer and use iTunes to restore the iPhone to factory defaults. Why? Well, for security reasons, there’s absolutely no way to reset the passcode since that would defeat the purpose of the passcode.


Multitasking and Quitting Applications
Prior to iOS 4, iPhones could not perform more than one task at a time. Well, they could play music from the iPod app while performing some other tasks, but that was about it. iOS now acts more like a modern multitasking operating system by allowing multiple apps to run simultaneously. One example that many people pointed at as proof of the need for iOS multitasking was being able to play tunes using the popular Pandora music-streaming app while performing other tasks, such as reading e-mail, at the same time.

When you’re using an app, pressing the Home button returns you to the Home screen, but the app is either suspended or may actually be running. In fact, if the app has been written to take advantage of back grounding, it will continue to run when you’re viewing the Home screen or running other apps. In other words, don’t assume that when an app is out of sight, it’s shut down.

To see what’s currently running on your iPhone under iOS 4, double-click the Home button. The current Home screen becomes transparent, and a side-scrolling list of active apps appears at the bottom of the screen.

Flicking the active apps to the right, you’ll eventually get to a control panel for whatever music app happens to be active at the time. This control panel is equipped with play, pause, fast-forward, and fast-reverse buttons, as well as a screen orientation lock button. The far-right icon on the control panel shows which music app you’re currently controlling.

On an iPhone 3G or 3GS running iOS4, having multiple apps still running in background can increase usage of the processor to the point that your iPhone heats up, the device uses much more power, and the response of the phone becomes sluggish. Even with the iPhone 4’s powerful and fast Apple A4 processor, too many apps running simultaneously can slow things down dramatically. Idle applications occupy your iPhone’s memory, which may eventually cause it to balk when you try to open another app.

So, how do you quit apps? Double-click the Home button, and at the bottom of the iPhone display you’ll see a side-scrolling list of all the apps that are currently running. To turn off an app, tap and hold an app icon in the list until it begins to jiggle. A small minus sign in a red circle appears at the top-left corner of the icon. Tap the minus sign to quit the application.


Powering Your iPhone Off and On
To power off your iPhone, press and hold the Sleep/Wake button for about five seconds. A slider appears prompting you to slide the red button that appears to the right in order to power off. To cancel, either tap Cancel or just wait about ten seconds. The iPhone automatically returns you to the Home screen if you don’t power down within that time. When your iPhone is powered off, it ceases to function. You cannot listen to music. You cannot receive phone calls. You must power your iPhone back on for it to do these things.

To power on your iPhone, press and hold Sleep/Wake for two to three seconds. Release the button when you see the white Apple icon. The iPhone starts up and returns you automatically to the unlock screen.


Rebooting Your iPhone
At times, you may need to reboot your iPhone. The most common reason for doing this is that you have installed a new app that recommends a reboot after installation. Although you can reboot just by powering down and then powering back up, Apple provides a much easier way do this. Press and hold both the Home and Sleep/Wake buttons for eight to ten seconds. Ignore the “slide to power off” message, and keep holding both buttons until the white Apple logo appears. Once it shows up, release both buttons, and let the iPhone finish its reboot. You will return automatically to the unlock screen.


Placing Your iPhone into Recovery Mode
On occasion, you might encounter one of these odd symptoms:
» Your iPhone continually restarts but never displays the Home screen.

» An update or restore did not complete, and the device is no longer recognized in iTunes.

» The iPhone stops responding, displaying the Apple logo with no progress bar or a stopped progress bar for more than ten minutes.

If this happens to you, you can place the iPhone into recovery mode and attempt to restore it. Here’s how to put your iPhone into recovery mode:

1. Disconnect the USB cable from your iPhone, but leave the other end connected to the USB port on your computer.

2. Turn off your iPhone. Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button until the red slider appears, and then slide it to the right. Wait for the iPhone to turn off. If you can’t turn off the iPhone using the slider, press and hold the Sleep/Wake and Home buttons at the same time. When the iPhone finally turns off, release the buttons.

3. While pressing and holding the Home button, reconnect the USB cable to your iPhone. When you reconnect the USB cable, the device should power on. If a depleted battery\ icon appears on the iPhone screen, let your iPhone charge for at least ten minutes and then start over again at step 2.

4. Hold the Home button down until you see the Connect to iTunes screen. It displays an iTunes icon (a music CD with musical notes in front of it) and a USB cable.

5. At this point, if iTunes isn’t running on your computer, launch it. You should see a “recovery mode” prompt in iTunes that says, “iTunes has detected an iPhone in recovery mode. You must restore this iPhone before it can be used with iTunes.” Click the OK button to begin using iTunes to restore the iPhone.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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What iTunes Can Do

iTunes can do many things for you and your iPad, including the following tasks:

» Organize your media: It provides a way to organize your media (both purchased and your own) into playlists and more.

» Load your music CDs: It lets you load up all your music CDs into iTunes, manage them with playlists, and sync them to your iPad.

» Buy media titles or download them for free: In the Media sections of the iTunes store, you can purchase or download free music, movies, TV shows, podcasts, audiobooks, and educational content (with iTunes U).

» Buy apps or download them for free: In the App Store portion of the iTunes Store, you can purchase or download free applications (apps) for your iPad.

» Share your media: It lets you share your purchased music library (or portions of it) across all computers in your home network. This can be a great money saver if your family has similar tastes in music and videos.

» Play your media: It serves as a great media player for your computer to play all your media, including music, videos, TV shows, and podcasts.

» Sync media to iPad: It lets you transfer or synchronize your music, pictures, and video collections to your iPad.

» Organize and sync your apps: It lets you manage and sync your Apps on your iPad and arrange the app icons on your iPad’s various screens.

» Sync personal information to your iPad: It lets you transfer or synchronize your personal information (e.g., addresses, calendar, and notes) between your computer and your iPad.

» Backup and restore your iPad: It lets you backup and restore your iPad data.

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The iPhone Sensors

In addition to the touchscreen, your iPhone contains either five or seven important sensors depending on the model. Both the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 contain a proximity sensor, an ambient light sensor, a tilt sensor (also known as an accelerometer), a digital compass, and a Global Positioning System (GPS) receiver. The iPhone 4 also adds a built-in three-axis gyroscope and a noise-cancellation microphone to the array of sensors. These sensors give your iPhone some science-fiction-grade features that set it apart from the crowd.


Proximity Sensor
The proximity sensor is located on your iPhone right near the earpiece. Its job is to blank the screen when the iPhone is held up to your ear. This means your ear and chin won’t accidentally hang up your calls with their stray touches, and it means you’ll save some power during those phone calls.

You can see the proximity sensor in action by going to Phone ➤ Voicemail. Set Speaker to off (on is a brighter blue; off a dimmer blue), and then play a voicemail message by tapping the name or phone number of the person who left it. With the speaker off, place a finger just above the earpiece. The iPhone display goes dark. Remove the finger, and the screen returns.

Test the sensor range by placing your iPhone on a flat surface and holding your finger in the air about an inch above the earpiece. Move the finger up and down slightly, and you’ll discover exactly where the sensor gets triggered. The proximity sensor works by shooting out an infrared (IR) beam, which is reflected back and picked up by the iPhone’s light sensor. If the range is short enough, the iPhone switches off the screen.

You can also see the IR source for the proximity sensor by using a digital camera. The IR beam is visible to the camera’s CCD detector. To take the picture we switched off a camera’s flash, enabled its Macro settings (because we needed the camera to be pretty close to the iPhone), and waited for the source to flash red. You can’t see it with your eyes, but you can with your camera’s IR-sensitive detectors.


Tilt Sensor
The iPhone uses an accelerometer (what we’re going to call the tilt sensor) to detect when your iPhone tilts. Many apps, including Safari, update their displays when you turn the iPhone on its side. This allows you to use your iPhone in both portrait and landscape modes.

If you feel like playing with the tilt sensor, try this: go into Photos, and select a favorite picture. Hold the iPhone up normally in portrait orientation, press one finger onto the screen, and then tilt the phone into landscape orientation. The picture will not change. Now, lift the finger off the screen. Presto—the iPhone finally rotates the display.

Many iPhone games use the accelerometer for user interaction. For example, with the very popular Flick Fishing game, you “cast” a line out to catch fish by moving your hand and arm in the motion of casting. Many driving games let you use your iPhone as a steering wheel as your drive along a virtual course.


Ambient Light Sensor
The ambient light sensor detects whether you’re in bright or dark lighting conditions and then adjusts the overall brightness of your iPhone display to match. For example, if it’s extremely bright outside and you pull out your iPhone to make a call, the light sensor will judge the surrounding brightness when you unlock the phone and let the iPhone know that it needs to compensate by making the display brighter so you can read it. Going the other way, the screen will dim when you’re in a dark room to protect your eyes from the glare of a bright screen as well as save some battery power.

Want to have fun with this sensor? When you cover the sensor (found just above the ear speaker on the top front of the phone) with a finger and then unlock the phone, you’ll find that the screen brightness is quite dim. On the other hand, if you shine a bright light at the sensor when you unlock the iPhone, you’ll see the screen at a very bright setting.

You can toggle the auto brightness feature off and on in Settings ➤ Brightness. This setting also offers direct control over the brightness of the iPhone’s screen, which is handy when you need immediate results instead of playing with bright lights, fingers, and unlocking your iPhone.


Digital Compass
The digital compass (also known as a magnetometer) built into the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 is similar to a magnetic compass. In other words, if you happen to be near a strong magnetic field such as the magnets contained in the iPhone earbuds, the compass needle may not be pointing toward true or magnetic north. On occasion, the digital compass may need recalibrating.

The iPhone Compass app will inform you of those rare occasions by displaying a message that says “Re-calibrate compass. Wave in a figure 8 motion.” That’s your cue to hold the iPhone out in front of you and draw a big figure eight, with the eight lying on its side. Keep moving the iPhone until the calibration message disappears. Yes, you will look like a total geek while doing this, but it’s better than getting lost, right?

If you’re in a car and driving around, you don’t need to wave the iPhone at the windshield. Just make a few turns, and the compass will recalibrate itself. That’s much safer for everyone in and outside of your car.


GPS Receiver
Not only is your iPhone 3GS or iPhone 4 an amazing, powerful pocket computer and a very capable phone, but it’s also a state-of-the-art navigation tool. Built inside the latest iPhones is a GPS receiver that is capable of pinpointing your exact location on the globe within about 30 feet (10 meters).

In fact, your iPhone has an advantage that many dedicated GPS receivers do not. Since it is constantly in touch with cell phone towers with precisely known locations, it can determine your approximate location within several seconds of being turned on. Once the iPhone has locked onto several GPS satellites, it pinpoints the location with even more accuracy. This capability of blending the GPS satellite signals and known cell tower locations is known as Assisted GPS (A-GPS).

The GPS receiver is used in most iPhone apps that contain some sort of geolocation feature. Some examples of these apps include Maps, the Navigon, Tom Tom, and AT&T navigation apps, and the official Geocaching (www.geocaching.com) app.

NOTE: The Global Positioning System consists of a constellation of 24 to 32 satellites in precisely known orbits about 12,550 miles above the earth’s surface, all equipped with extremely accurate clocks and powerful radio transmitters. GPS receivers determine their location by timing the reception of signals from four or more satellites and then performing a series of complex calculations.


Three-Axis Gyroscope
The iPhone 4 is the first mobile phone to contain a miniaturized three-axis gyroscope to determine the precise orientation of the phone at every moment. This is handy in gaming apps that may need to track the motion of the phone more accurately than the tilt sensors can and also in apps such as You Gotta See This! (www.boinx.com/seethis). The latter is an iPhone 4–specific app that creates photo collages simply by waving the phone around in front of you. The iPhone shoots photos as it is moving, and since the app knows the orientation of the iPhone’s camera as each photo is being taken, it can easily stitch them into an attractive collage in seconds.

The gyroscope can be used by iPhone developers to capture movement that isn’t sensed by the accelerometer. Although the accelerometer does a good job of detecting whether the iPhone has been tilted one way or another, the gyroscope allows the device to be moved left or right, up and down, or forward and back, and that motion can be understood by apps. These additional movements provide another layer of precise control to the gestures that the iPhone understands.


Noise Cancellation Microphone
A glance at the top of an iPhone 4 will show a tiny hole next to the headset jack. This hole is actually a microphone, given the name top microphone by Apple. What’s it used for? It’s for improving the quality of your voice phone calls.

The Noise Cancellation microphone samples the ambient noise level around you. It then subtracts much of that ambient noise from the signal being sent to the person on the receiving end of your phone call. The result is much more clarity when you’re making phone calls in noisy conditions.

Source of Information : Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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The iPhone Language

The ways in which you touch your iPhone screen are the words in your communication vocabulary. Here’s a quick rundown of the many ways you can speak to your iPhone:

» Pressing the Home button: The iPhone’s Home button lives below the touch screen and is marked with a white or gray square. Press the Home button at any time to return to your Home screen with its list of applications. Double-pressing the Home button displays icons in a row at the bottom of the screen for all apps that are currently running and, with a flick to the right, displays a set of controls for operating the iPod app.

» Tapping: Tap your iPhone by touching your finger to the screen and removing it quickly. Tapping selects web links, activates buttons on the screen, and launches iPhone apps. When typing text on the iPhone’s virtual keyboard, you may want to tap with your forefinger or, if it’s more comfortable, your thumb.

» Double-tapping: Double-tapping means tapping your iPhone’s screen twice in quick succession. Double-clicking may be important on your personal computer, but double-tapping isn’t used all that much on the iPhone. In Safari, you can zoom into columns of text or pictures on a web page by double-tapping them, and then you can zoom back out by double-tapping again. In the Photos app, double-tapping is used to zoom into and out from pictures.

» Two-fingered tap: The iPhone’s Multi-Touch technology means you can tap the screen with more than one finger at a time. To do this, tap the iPhone display with your forefinger and middle finger at the same time. In Maps, double-tapping zooms into the map, while a two fingered tap zooms out.

» Holding: This gesture consists of putting your finger on the screen and leaving it there until something happens. Holding brings up the magnifying glass while you’re typing. You can also move app icons around on your iPhone by holding an icon until the app icons begin to “wiggle.” They can then be moved around the display and between Home screens to organize your apps, and they can be fixed in place by pressing the Home button. For apps that you’ve installed on your iPhone, holding an app icon also displays a small circle with an X in it in the upper-left corner of the icon. Tap that icon to delete the app from your iPhone.

» Dragging: Drag your finger by pressing it to the screen and moving it in any direction before lifting it. Use dragging to position the view in Maps or to scroll up or down a list of messages in Mail. Some apps offer an alphabetical index on the right side. To use this index, drag your finger along it until the item you want becomes visible.

» Flicking: When you’re dealing with long lists, you can give the list a quick flick. Place your finger onto the screen, and then move it rapidly in one direction—up, down, left, or right. The display responds by scrolling quickly in the direction you’ve indicated. Use flicking to move the names in your Contacts app quickly.

» Stopping: During a scroll, press and hold your finger to the screen to stop the scroll. Apple’s legal text provides a great place to practice flicking, dragging, and stopping. To get there, select Settings ➤ General ➤ About ➤ Legal. Have fun with its endless content of legalese that you can flick, drag, and stop to your heart’s content. If you don’t want to stop a scroll, just wait. The scroll will slow and stop by itself.

» Swiping: To swipe your iPhone, drag a finger from the left side of the screen toward the right. Swiping is used to unlock your phone and to indicate you want to delete list items, such as an e-mail item or contact.

» Pinching: On the iPhone, you pinch by placing your thumb and forefinger onto the screen with a space between them. Then, with the fingers touching the screen, move the two fingers together as if you’re pinching the screen. Pinching allows you to zoom out in many iPhone programs, including the photo viewer, Safari, and Maps.

» Unpinching: To unpinch, you perform the pinch in reverse. Start with your thumb and forefinger placed together on your screen and, with the fingers touching the screen, spread them apart. Unpinching allows you to zoom into those same iPhone applications that pinching zooms out of.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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Accessorizing Your iPhone

The iPhone accessory business is a huge and thriving economy. A visit to the iPhone accessories pages on the Apple online store shows a fraction of the iPhone cases, cables, docks, and other accessories that have been developed. If you purchase your iPhone in an Apple Store, your Apple sales associate will show you many accessories that are available for it. These accessories are from Apple and third-party sources, and they provide your iPhone with protection and added functionality. Let’s talk about some of the accessories that can make your iPhone experience more pleasant and fun.


iPhone Bumpers and Cases
One of the most popular categories of products for the iPhone consists of cases or, in the case of the iPhone 4, bumpers. A case is exactly what it sounds like—something that encases the iPhone in fabric, plastic, carbon fiber, or metal to protect the phone from scratches or accidental damage because of a drop.

The phone-surrounding metal antenna of the iPhone 4 caused a stir when initial buyers of the phone complained of issues with signal strength. Apple responded shortly with an acknowledgment that most cell phones exhibit the same loss of signal when held a certain way by offering initial buyers a free iPhone 4 Bumper. The Bumper ($29) is an attractive two-tone band that wraps the external stainless steel antenna in hard plastic.

The iPhone 4 Bumper does not protect the screen or back of the iPhone 4. It’s made of a hard aluminum-doped glass that is almost metallic in strength. The material can withstand impacts, can withstand drops, and is virtually scratch-proof, but that doesn’t keep iPhone owners from wanting to protect their devices.

There are hundreds, if not thousands, of cases made for the entire family of iPhones. Some popular models are made by OtterBox (http://www.otterbox.com), Case-Mate (http://www.case-mate.com), Incipio (http://www.myincipio.com), Griffin (http://www.griffintechnology.com), and Marware (http://www.marware.com).


iPhone Skins
Skins are another popular form of protective gear for the iPhone. Instead of a thick shell of some other material encasing the device, skins literally stick to the iPhone like a second skin. Some are brightly decorated, while others are completely transparent.

GelaSkins (http://www.gelaskins.com) makes colorful designs from a number of artists, and you can also create your own designs from photos or original artwork. The skins are inexpensive, provide protection against scratches, and turn your iPhone into a movable feast of art.

Two other manufacturers make very popular skins for iPhone. Zagg (http://www.zagg.com), makers of Invisible Shields, can send you a kit to install your own iPhone skin, or you can have one installed at thousands of retail locations. We’re also fond of StealthArmor (http://www.fusionofideas.com/stealtharmoriphone4.html), which comes in both transparent and patterned materials.


Power Adapters
Even though newer iPhones tend to get better battery life than the older models did, you still need to keep your battery charged. Apple sells the $29 USB Power Adapter, which is exactly what comes with your new iPhone. Why would you want another one? It’s always nice to have an extra to keep in your office for away-from-home charging or to take with you when you travel.

Speaking of travel, you’ll want to keep your iPhone charged when you’re in the car, so why not consider a car charger? Several models are popular, including the Griffin PowerJolt ($24.95) and the Belkin Micro Auto Charger ($24.95).

Your computer can also charge your iPhone through the regular Dock Connector to USB cable that comes with the device. However, some people prefer the vertical orientation and ease of plug-in that comes with a dock.


Docks
Docks come in a variety of sizes, shapes, and capabilities. The most bare-bones dock that you’ll find is the $29 Apple iPhone Dock, which allows you to place an iPhone onto the dock connector for charging and syncing while putting the device into a portrait orientation for easy viewing.

From there, your imagination and wallet are the limit. Higher-end models are equipped with speakers to turn your sleek little iPhone into a loud “clock radio” or boom box. The latter category is well represented by the $300 Harmon Kardon Go + Play Micro Portable Loudspeaker Dock for iPod and iPhone, while the former category is described by the iHome iP42 Dual Alarm FM Clock Radio for iPhone and iPod (http://ihomeaudio.com; $100).


Cables
Although the only cable you may ever need for your iPhone is the included Dock Connector to USB cable, there are other cables that can provide video-out functionality—perfect for watching photo slide shows or video stored on your iPhone on a big-screen TV.

Apple makes the Component AV Cable ($49) and Composite AV Cable ($49) for connecting an iPhone to either Component (Y, Pb, and Pr video and red/white analog audio ports) or Composite (composite video, red/white analog audio cables) television inputs.

The $29 Apple iPad Dock Connector to VGA Adapter also works with the iPhone 4 and newer models to provide a VGA attachment to a television, projector, or VGA display.


CAUTION: Not all applications support these connection cables, so be sure to contact app developers for assurance that their app will drive your TV, projector, or display prior to purchase.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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Word 2011 for Mac

Significant update to Microsoft's flagship Mac word-processing app

"Word 2011 now makes it possible to insert a Mac into almost any business environment"

It's always been difficult to see any kind of relationship between Word for Mac and Word for Windows, beyond the name and file format. They were essentially two different products designed for what, in Microsoft's mind, were two different sets of users Word for Mac 2011 changes all that. It's a significant and substantive update that unifies a user's experience across platforms It also contains many valuable new features and improvements - more than 30 in all. More importantly, Word 2011 now makes it possible to insert a Mac into almost any business environment and offer Mac users the same set of features found in Word for Windows


Ribbon and all the trimmings
Word 2011 has the Ribbon, an intelligent, customizable toolbar that displays a set of formatting tools suited to your current task typing up a letter? The Ribbon displays a set of text-formatting tools. Adding a table or a chart? You'll find a complete set of tools for editing and formatting the same. Inserting an image into a document? The Ribbon contains everything you need to resize, colour correct, wrap text around, or otherwise format that image. If you'd rather not use the Ribbon, you can hide it Initially the Ribbon may seem daunting, but we found we weren't wasting time looking for the tools needed to get the work done. And because you can hide the Ribbon, you can get it out of the way when you need to

If you're accustomed to using Word to create brochures, menus, minutes, calendars, proposals, and posters, Word 2011 offers a large collection of professionally designed templates, as well as many more created by and shared with other Office users. While we still don't find Word's Publishing Layout tools to be as easy or intuitive to use as those in Apple's Pages '09, when it comes to wholesale customisation of these templates, Word has some distinct advantages over Pages At the top of that list is Microsoft's Themes Themes take advantage of the Styles used in a document, allowing you to make instantaneous changes to fonts, paragraphs, colours, and other layout elements simply by selecting a new theme. Word 2011 ships with over 50 layout themes, but you can also create custom themes to turn a generic Word template into something that's unique to you and your business

Another excellent feature is full-on Spotlight integration and a new Spotlight-inspired tool for finding and replacing text in a document You'll now see a search field at the top of every document that, when you type a word in the field, highlights every instance of that word in your document

Word 2011 has a built-in equation editor that makes it easy to add and edit mathematical equations. The equation editor gives Word a leg up on Pages, which requires that you buy MathType for the same functionality

Word 2011 has a few other welcome improvements and additions. Office 2011 marks the reintroduction of Visual Basic for Applications, so Word is no longer limited to Automator and AppleScript for automation There's better organisation of the tools for managing footnotes, endnotes, and bibliographies, and a new customisable, fullscreen mode. This offers a unique read-only mode that makes it easier to read and navigate a document. The read-only mode also lets you view all the changes made by the different authors that have worked on a document if you have the track changes feature turned on However, Word 2011 still does not track changes made to images that you add to your documents Unfortunately, we came across some bugs when command-dragging text boxes and resizing image boxes, and have alerted Microsoft.


Macworld's buying advice
After years of lamenting what Word for Mac lacks, we find ourselves in the odd position of announcing that Word 2011 is great. It's a solid, powerful and well-designed word-processing application. The most important thing is that it's designed to move your Mac into your office with no regrets, no compromises, and no excuses for why the Mac can't play well with the Windows version of the same application.


Enterprise-level tools
Word 2011 has significantly improved collaboration tools. It includes support for Microsoft SharePoint, SkyDrive, simultaneous document editing, and improved control over the rights users have to review and edit documents. This security feature requires Microsoft's Information Rights Management (IRM) tools. It also means that you'll need a volume licence edition of Office 2011 and a Microsoft Rights Management server, but the upside is that you'll have much finer control over what other users can do with the documents you create.

Additionally, if you save your documents to Microsoft's SkyDrive, or if your business is using SharePoint Foundation for 2010 Enterprise, you have access to the Word web app, which lets you access and edit your documents via the web. We could view documents on an iPad, but we could not use the Word web app to edit them, at least not at this point in time.

Source of Information :  Macworld UK December 2010

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Mac Pro 2.66GHz 12-core

Apple's most expensive Mac, but does that mean it's the fastest?

Apple released three new Mac Pro models in August. The £1 ,999 2.8GHz quad-core model and the £2,799 2.4GHz quad-core (x2, eight cores total) model. Here we will assess Apple's 12-core Mac Pro . At £3,999 this is Apple's most expensive off-the-shelf Mac, but does that mean it's the fastest Mac money can buy?

This flagship model has two 2.66GHz 6-core Intel Xeon Westmere processors (twelve cores in total) with 6GB RAM, a 1TB hard drive, and the same 1 GB ATI Radeon HD 5770 graphics card as the other 201 0 Mac Pros. Our Macworld system performance test suite, Speedmark 6.5, results show it to be considerably faster than Apple's other standard Mac Pro models released this year, achieving a Speed mark 6.5 result of 261 compared to the 216 of the 8-core model, and 207 for the quad-core Mac Pro


Built for speed
Apple's standard models don't always offer the best combination of speed and value for money, as we discovered when we compared this 12-core model to some of the build-to-order (BTO) options for the Mac Pro. Apple offers its Macs in a number of standard configurations But it offers upgrades for each system that can increase the performance - and the price The upgrades include faster processors, faster storage devices and more RAM, and these BTD options usually provide considerably improved performance over the base standard configuration that you start with. The Macworld Lab got a few of these BTD Mac Pros, and our Speedmark 6.5 results show that four of the five fastest Macs we've tested are BTD configurations

As Macworld Lab has experienced with past benchmark test results, the speed of the individual processing cores on a processor affects CNerall performance more that the number of processing cores. In fact, the BTD 12-core 2.66GHz Mac Pro with 12GB of RAM and a £4,359 price tag (though our RAM was provided by Crucial not Apple), was not the overall fastest Mac that we've tested. That honour goes to a £2,959 BTO Mac Pro with a 6-core 3.33GHz processor and 3GB of RAM, which edged out its 12-core sibling by one point in Speedmark 6.5. The 6-core 3.33GHz Mac Pro beat the 12-core 2.66GHz Mac Pro in 12 of the 17 individual tasks that make up Speedmark 6.5

Surprisingly, the amount of RAM didn't matter much with our Mac Pro tests. The results from the 12-core 2.66GHz Mac Pro with 6GB of RAM (the standard configuration) were nearly identical to the results of the same Mac Pro with 12GB of RAM. Even our multitasking test wasn't faster on the 2.66GHz 12-core Mac Pro with 12G B of RAM

In the few Speedmark tests that make use of all 12-cores (and with Intel's Hyper Threading technology, all 24 virtual cores), like MathematicaMark, CineBench CPU, and HandBrake, the more processors available, the better the performance. For example, the 12-core 2.66GHz Mac Pro finished the CineBench CPU test in one-fifth of the time it took the 2.66GHz Core i7 MacBook Pro to complete the test. It was also 33 per cent faster than the 6-core 3.33GHz Mac Pro


Macworld's buying advice
At four grand the 12-core Mac Pro is no impulse buy. Nor is it the fastest Mac you can buy, that accolade goes to the BTO 6-core 3.33GHz Mac Pro; it beats the standard 12-core model by just two points, but costs £1,040 less. However, if you're using programs that will take advantage of the 12-cores (or 24 virtual cores) then the 12-core Mac Pro is the fastest Mac on offer James Galbraith

Source of Information : Macworld UK December 2010

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The Novatel MiFi 2200

The MiFi 2200 is a compact device, weighing 2 ounces and measuring 3.5 x 2.3 x 0.4 inches. It has a single power on/off button, and its faux metal front goes well with any mobile Apple product. It connects wirelessly with up to five Wi-Fi-enabled devices. You don’t need it with a 3G-enabled iPhone, but MiFi will bring broadband Internet connectivity to your iPod touch, a non-3G iPad, and other non-3G devices. You can even create a mini-LAN and piggyback off the MiFi’s 3G connection.

Setting up MiFi is straightforward: On your iPad or other WiFi device, go to your network/wireless settings and enter the SSID of the unit and the password. My unit had that information on a sticker on the bottom, but the SSID was wrong. Fortunately, my iPad found the correct SSID when it did a search, and within seconds, I was connected and back in business.

There are some downsides to the MiFi approach. Although it’s tiny, it’s still another device you have to carry around with you. It’s powered by a rechargeable battery that will give you about 4 hours of use and 40 hours of standby. If you plan on using it longer than 4 hours, you’ll have to carry its micro-USB charger with you. (You can use it indefinitely when connected to the charger.) You can also plug the MiFi into the USB port of a computer, but then only that computer can go online. Finally, although the device itself is inexpensive, the data connection is not.

Verizon (verizonwireless.com/b2c/mobilebroadband) offers the MiFi for as little as $50, but to get that price you have to sign up for a two-year contract ($60/month for the 5GB data plan or a $40/month for the 250MB data plan). Sprint (shop.sprint.com/en/shop, select the “Mobile Broadband Cards” link) offers the MiFi with “Instant Savings” and a mail-in rebate that make it free. You still have to sign up for a two-year contract, and the To summarize, the price of the MiFi 2200 really isn’t the issue—the cost of the data plans is! Over the life of a two-year contract you could end up spending $960-$1,440 for the 3G data service.

Source of Information : IPhone Life November-December 2010

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Ethics and App reviews

Editorial ethics have been around as long as the published word, but that might not be obvious if you read iPhone App review sites. Unfortunately, there are some Web publishers (and reviewers) that put quick cash in front of the best interests of their readers by taking money for reviews. Selling out is the critic’s cardinal sin, and the growing tendency to do so is why we established the Organization for App Testing Standards (a.k.a., O.A.T.S.).

O.A.T.S. is a group of iPhone App review publications that came together to raise the journalistic bar for the emerging world of iPhone application and game review sites. From our initial base of four sites, we have grown to 35 publications that have promised to serve their readers first, last, and always. Joining is simple, and every English-language site is welcome—providing they take the following Oath:

WE, THE CONSTITUENT SITES OF THE ORGANIZATION OF APP TESTING STANDARDS, have gathered under the auspices of O.A.T.S. with a common goal: to improve the quality of iPhone games and app criticism. While we applaud the great diversity of opinion now available to consumers looking for iPhone app reviews, it is clear to us that not all of these sources have put the best interests of the readership first. We hope to combat this by holding ourselves to a higher standard.


TO THAT END:
1.) WE PLEDGE to never mix business with editorial. We reject all forms of paid reviews, including “express reviewing” fees. Advertising on an O.A.T.S. site will have no bearing whatsoever on whether we decide to review an app, or on the nature of coverage we give it, when and if we do;

2.) WE PLEDGE to clearly mark all advertisements as such on our sites;

3.) WE PLEDGE to ensure that each of our reviews is as thorough, accurate, honest, and fully informed as possible;

4.) WE PLEDGE to promptly correct all factual mistakes in our reviews and to post an Editor’s Note when we do;

5.) WE PLEDGE that all editorial work appearing on our sites is our own;

6.) WE PLEDGE to allow disagreement, dissent, and complaint through reader commentary, and to never censor it;

7.) WE PLEDGE that all app reviews will follow the same process, whether a particular app is obtained via promo code, purchase, or ad-hoc distribution;

8.) WE PLEDGE that site promotions or contests involving promo code giveaways will not influence reviews in any way.

Source of Information :  IPhone Life November-December 2010

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The 5 Best Apps for Business

These apps have the greatest potential to improve your business!

Apple has achieved 80 percent penetration of the FORTUNE 100 and has demonstrated that the iPhone can provide powerful capabilities to business. And as the iPad continues to gain momentum in the marketplace, it is being embraced faster and even more openly than the iPhone has been.

This collection of the best five business solutions highlights the apps that have demonstrated a strong capability to extend business information, data, and systems to information workers wherever they might be. As small businesses and larger enterprises continue to embrace the iOS platform, this application segment will continue its explosive growth and deliver even more powerful solutions to the mobile worker.



5 » Keynote (iPad)
$9.99, iPad only, app2.me/2481
Even though Keynote is more of a productivity app than business app, it is popular with road warriors everywhere, allowing them to create, view, import, and make presentations on the go. Keynote turns the iPad into an incredibly elegant presentation tool that can be connected to a projector or simply display a series of slides on the iPad itself. With instant on, Keynote transforms the iPad into a living, breathing presentation that allows you to simply forget about the technology and get down to business.



4 » Citrix Receiver (iPhone/iPad)
Free, iPhone/iPod touch version: app2.me/3024, iPad version: app2.me/3025
Citrix Receiver lets you access virtual desktops, applications, and data, giving you the ability to extend existing line-of-business applications to the iPhone and iPad. It’s a very simple and powerful solution that works very well with applications that are easily used with a touch screen and in environments where there are fast and reliable internet connections. This makes it a very good solution for many, but not all situations. Organizations should seriously evaluate it if their solutions can leverage Citrix, especially if the organization already has an investment in Citrix infrastructure.



3 » Cisco WebEx
Free, iPhone/iPod touch version: app2.me/3022, iPad version: app2.me/3023
WebEx has helped mobile workers bridge the distance between the conference room and remote work sites, allowing them to participate in meetings wherever they are. It transforms your iPhone, iPod touch, or iPad into a mobile Web conferencing portal that lets you view shared content, chat, voice conference over VoIP, and more. It’s a powerful app, but it’s not perfect. We eagerly await the day that Cisco enhances this app to allow mobile users to lead meetings.



2 » Salesforce Mobile
Free, (requires a salesforce.com account), iPhone/iPod touch only, app2.me/3021
Salesforce.com mainstreamed cloud computing for large and small businesses, and the mobile companion to the Web-based service is fairly revolutionary in its own right. The app lets you access sales information stored in your salesforce.com account and provides significant and powerful out-of-the box functionality for accessing and editing CRM information. It also provides the ability to extend the application with your own custom data objects and functionality.



1 » Roambi Visualizer
Free, iPhone/iPod touch and the iPad versions, app2.me/2428
Businesses have been waiting for nearly a decade for a useful Mobile Business Intelligence solution, but it wasn’t until Roambi launched Visualizer for the iPhone that a powerful, usable, and beautiful one became available. The more recent iPad version gives business executives a taste of the iPad’s potential. Visualizer is a cloud-based solution that can be used by individual workers who need to visualize spreadsheets, data, and other corporate information as well as remain fully integrated into business solutions deployed by their organizations. If you want to know where your business is at wherever you are, Roambi Visualizer is the app for you.

Source of Information : IPhone Life November-December 2010

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iPhone Activation at the Store

If you purchase an iPhone at an Apple or cellular service provider store in the Apple Stores in the United States and many other countries, you’ll find that the activation process is taken care of in the store at the time you pay for the phone.

After you’ve made your choice as to the model of iPhone you want to purchase and have picked out accessories (cases, cables, and other goodies) to go with it, it’s time to pay for the goods. When the Apple Store associate scans the iPhone box with an iOSbased point-of-sale device, the device immediately starts asking questions that you’ll need to answer. Among those questions are the following:

» Are you a current customer of a particular mobile phone company that features the iPhone? If so, what is your telephone number?

» Are you coming over from another cell phone company? If so, what company, and what is your telephone number?

» What voice, data, and text plan would you like to sign up for?

» If you are not eligible for a phone upgrade on your existing plan, are you willing to pay the extra cost to buy the unsubsidized phone? (Many carriers subsidize the cost of the phone, knowing that you’ll more than pay them back in your monthly subscription fees.)

In the case of an existing iPhone owner upgrading to a newer iPhone, the point-of-sale device will check your existing phone number and will immediately let the Apple Store associate know whether you’re eligible for an upgrade. There’s usually a nominal fee associated with the upgrade, and you will be asked if you want to accept that fee. The associate will then display your existing voice, data, and text plans, and you’ll be asked if you want to stay with those plans or change to a different plan. Of course, you’ll also need to swipe the credit card that you’ll use to pay for the phone and the plan, and your signature is required on the point-of-sale device.

Upon agreement to the terms and conditions of the carrier’s plan and the use of Apple’s hardware and software, your new iPhone is activated. Note that if you have an existing phone, the service to it will be cut off immediately.

Activating your iPhone at an Apple or a carrier store has another benefit. Most of the stores have a set of cables and special software that are used to transfer all your settings, data, addresses, photos, and more from your existing phone to the iPhone. This is especially important if you are getting your first iPhone and coming over from another phone platform.

Regardless of whether you choose to pick up your new iPhone in person at an Apple or cellular service provider’s store or if you have it shipped to you from Apple or Amazon, you still won’t be able to use the phone (except to make emergency phone calls) until you connect it to your computer.

Source of Information : Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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Buying iPhone Returns and Exchange Policies

The return policy for iPhones has improved since the release of the phone. If you’re not happy with your iPhone purchase, you can return the undamaged phone to an Apple Store or the Apple Online Store within 30 days of purchase for a full refund. You must return the phone in the original packaging, including all the accessories, manuals, and documentation, and you won’t be charged a restocking fee.

If your iPhone is returned to Apple within 30 days from the date of purchase (or shipment in the case of a purchase from the Apple Online Store), your wireless service is canceled automatically, and you are not charged an early termination fee (ETF). However, you will be charged for all usage fees; prorated access charges, taxes, and surcharges; and any other fees your carrier may charge.

If you purchased your iPhone at a cellular carrier store, things aren’t as rosy. A restocking fee will generally be applied to the return, unless you purchased it without service and the phone box was never opened.

In the United States, at the where AT&T is the only carrier available for iPhone owners at the, getting out of a standard two-year postpaid contract (meaning that you are billed at the end of each month of use) can be expensive. You can cancel the service within 30 days of activation without being charged for an ETF. After 30 days, the ETF is $325 minus $10 for each full month of your service commitment that you complete. For example, if you cancel your AT&T contract after 12 months, the ETF is $325 – (12 x $10) = $205. Canceling 23 months into a contract, you’d still be charged a $95 ETF. Once you’ve fulfilled the two-year agreement, your service switches to a month-to-month automatic renewal.

If you opt for a nonstandard, no-contract, month-by-month plan, you pay only for the months you use, and there are no early termination fees. Your credit card is charged in advance for each month of use, and you must contact AT&T before the monthly charge date when you want to cancel. Otherwise, you will have paid for an extra month of service that you will not use.

Source of Information : Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max 

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What about an iPhone or iPad?

Apple’s mobile devices are designed to sync perfectly with your Mac

Both the iPhone and iPad have a touch screen, come with email and web-browsing applications and are capable of running third party apps that you can get from Apple’s App Store. But the iPad isn’t simply a bigger iPhone. The iPhone is first and foremost a phone, and like all mobile phones, unless you buy it on Pay as You Go (which makes the device itself much more expensive) you’re going to be tied into a phone contract.

If you want all the features of the iPhone but without the phone part, then consider getting an iPod touch instead. If you’re looking for a phone then you’ll find the iPhone is designed to cover all your data needs while you’re on the go, and fits in your pocket.

In contrast, the iPad is a device that sits somewhere between an iPhone and a Mac. It also comes with a 3G data contract option, but that doesn’t include phone calls. The only phone calls you can make with it will be digitally, using VoIP apps, such as Skype. While a lot of people find the iPhone perfectly acceptable for home use, if you just need to check your email or do a quick bit of web surfing, the iPad is positively designed to be used from your sofa. It has built-in Wi-Fi, which means you can check emails and browse the web on your wireless network at home. Here it would fulfill most functions of a laptop, but don’t fall into the trap of thinking of the iPad as a replacement for a home computer. It’s fundamentally designed to be an accessory. You’re meant to keep your data on your Mac and sync your iPad with it, not the other way around.

It does have some big advantages over a Mac laptop, though. For a start, because it uses solid-state memory it’s pretty-much instant on. There’s no waiting around for it to boot up. It’s also lightweight, extremely portable and the perfect size to be used as an eBook reader.

The iPhone currently comes in two versions, the 3GS and iPhone 4. The latest model, the iPhone 4, features a stunning new 960x640 high-resolution display, making it much easier to read on-screen text. The screen itself is now IPS (in plane switching) for great viewing angles. However you hold it, the colors won’t shift. There’s also a front-facing camera for video chat and HD video recording using the rear camera.

The iPad comes in three capacities, 16GB, 32GB and 64GB, and is available in Wi-Fi or Wi-Fi + 3G versions. The 3G version costs £100 more initially and comes with data plans from either O2, Orange or Vodafone. Prices start at £429 for the 16GB Wi-Fi version, and go up to £699 for the top-of-the range 64GB Wi-Fi + 3G iPad.

“The iPad sits between an iPhone and a Mac. If you just need to check your email or do a quick bit of web surfing, the iPad is ideal”

Source of Information : Mac Format November 2010 (UK)

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ios 4.1 & 4.2

As this issue was going to the printer, Apple announced the release of iOS 4.1 for the iPhone and iPod touch. The update will be available for the 3G, 3GS, and iPhone 4 as well as the second and third generation iPod touch. In addition, they announced the coming November release of iOS 4.2, which will bring iOS 4 enhancements to the iPad which currently runs version 3.2. The November update will also be available for the aforementioned versions of the iPhone and iPod touch. iOS 4.1 and 4.2 include a number of new features.


Features new to iOS 4.1

• Game Center: This social networking feature is focused on iOS games. It allows you to find friends, use an “auto match” feature to play multiplayer games, and track your achievements.

• Support for the following iTunes enhancements has been added: TV show rentals for $0.99 each; access to iTunes’ “Ping” feature to keep up with your friends’ music and your favorite artists; upload HD video from your iPhone 4 to YouTube and MobileMe.

• AirPlay: Let’s you stream content from your iOS device to Apple TV.

• HDR Photography: Snap the Camera’s shutter and it takes 3 quick photos and combines them for better exposure.

• Bug fixes for the proximity sensor and Bluetooth.

Source of Information : IPhone Life November-December 2010

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Which iOS device is best for you?

If all you’re interested in is playing music and maybe watching video (on a very small screen), forget iOS and buy one of the less-expensive iPods. If you are interested in a more feature-rich solution that lets you do more than that, check out one of the iOS options. Below are the four major user scenarios and one other possibility.

1.) The iPhone user: Major interests for these users include staying in touch with the outside world via phone, instant messaging, and up-to-the-minute e-mail. They are also interested in personal productivity aspects of the device and third-party apps. Other interests include Web browsing, music, video, games, and other aspects of the device. He or she needs and can afford long-term cellular/data service contracts.

2.) The iPad user: This user’s major interests include Web browsing, video, eBooks, news, and e-mail. Users of the Wi-Fionly version of the iPad are willing to wait for a Wi-Fi connection to upload/download e-mail. Users of the iPad Wi-Fi + 3G want or need a live 3G data connection and are willing to pay for a service contract. The iPad user prefers a larger, easy-to-read screen and is willing to trade size for it. He or she is either satisfied with their current mobile phone or doesn’t need one.

3.) The iPod touch user: This user’s major interests include music, video, and games in a pocket-sized device. Other interests include personal productivity, Web browsing, e-mail, and YouTube. He or she is not interested in an expensive cellular/data service contract. He or she is either satisfied with their current mobile phone or doesn’t need one.

4.) The iPhone + iPad user, or the iPod touch + iPad user: Some people may want two devices: a small, pocketable device when on the go and a larger, easier-to-read device around the home or office.

5.) Multiple iOS devices as gifts: There’s probably not much call for one person to own both an iPhone and iPod touch unless he or she intends on loaning the iPod touch out to friends, associates, the kids, etc. Our enterprise editor, Nathan Clevenger, commented on this point: “I’ve ordered the new iPod touch for my parents and grandparents so they can FaceTime with my kids. I’m not sure if they will use it for anything else, but at $229, it’s an inexpensive way to stay in touch without the price of a service contract!”

Source of Information : IPhone Life November-December 2010

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Apple reinvents the iPod, again

AppleTV, iTunesand iPod updates announced in Jobs’ annual speech

Apple is seeing 230,000 new iOS devices go into use every day, said Steve Jobs, opening his annual September music product keynote speech. He introduced a new iPod touch, iPod nano and iPod shuffle. The iPod classic wasn’t updated but continues to be available for sale.

Apple also gave us a redesigned Apple TV and iTunes 10, now equipped with music-focused social network, Ping. Apple’s new range includes the £39 iPod shuffle; the iPod nano (from £129), the iPod touch (from £189), and the iPod classic in a 160GB model (£193).



iPod touch
The iPod touch boasts a Retina Display with front and rear-facing cameras and support for FaceTime video chat. You get HD video recording and, because the touch runs on Apple’s A4 processor, you can edit video using the iMovie app. Additional features include a three-axis electronic gyroscope, iOS 4.1 and Game Center. The latter is Apple’s new service, which lets gamers challenge and play against friends or new opponents. The iPod touch is like an iPhone without the calling features, but offers only half the memory – just 256MB. You can expect 40 hours of music playback and seven hours of video playback on a single battery charge. £189 gets you an 8GB model, 32GB (£249) and 64GB (£329) models are also available.



iPod nano
The all-new iPod nano loses the video camera and big screen to become an attractive touch controlled music player. You control what’s playing using a 1.5-inch Multi-Touch screen, through an interface that will be familiar to anyone who has used iOS, though the music player isn’t running iOS proper. Half the size and weight of the previous model, the de vice is manufactured in aluminum and glass, and boasts a robust clip, so you can wear the player if you like. Features include a built-in FM radio with live pause and support for Genius Mixes and playlists. ‘Shake to Shuffle’ means you can shake the device to mix up the song order. The 8GB model costs £129, while a 16GB model costs £159.



iPod shuffle
The new 2GB iPod shuffle lacks a screen but gains a familiar-seeming iPod control wheel. The player is tiny and has a strong clip to attach it to clothes or a bag, and can be controlled using VoiceOver spoken controls. Available in silver, blue, green, orange and pink, you get more than 15 hours of music playback on a single battery charge. The VoiceOver button on top of the iPod shuffle enables you to hear the name of the currently playing song and to switch between songs, playlists or Genius Mixes.



Apple TV
Apple is moving its ‘hobby’ device to an all-rental streaming model, which means the new Apple TV lacks any internal storage. Priced at just £99, Apple offers movies for rent in the UK, but TV show rentals are currently confined to the USA, where they cost just 99 cents. Apple had been expected to offer a range of subscription-based services to support the new device, but is understood to be stuck in tense negotiations for this.

Apple TV will stream content from Netflix (US-only), YouTube, Flickr and MobileMe, as well as music, photos and videos from PCs and Macs to your HD TV. Less than four-inches square, the charcoalgrey Apple TV uses 80% less power than the previous model. On-screen menus are clear and easy to navigate. The system runs on an A4 processor, but as yet lacks support for iOS apps.



iTunes 10 and Ping
Many users complained at the appearance of iTunes 10, which dispenses with those familiar-coloured controls in favour of a uniform grey interface. Some users have found ways to hack the software and put some colour back. There are a few improvements: for example, if you plug an iPhone or iPod into your computer, you can then play music contained on the device via iTunes by default.

The big new feature announcement was Ping, which Jobs describes as a “social network for music”. As part of iTunes 10, Ping will let you follow your favorite artists and link up with your friends, however it does have limited features for users: while artists can post images, videos and snippets of text, users can only comment and recommend tracks.



Apple bins free bumpers
Blink and you missed it, but Apple no longer offers a free case to iPhone 4 owners who find holding the device in certain ways can cut connections, saying the issue is “even smaller than we originally thought.” If your iPhone is afflicted, contact Apple and they may sort things out. For everyone else, Apple ended the free case offer on all iPhones sold after 30 September, 2010.

Source of Information : Mac Format November 2010 (UK)

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iPhones System Requirements

iPhones are unlike most other cell phones. Like the iPod, you’ll need a computer to connect your phone to. iPhones need to connect to computers regularly to synchronize music, videos, photos, e-mail, contacts, calendars, and more. You also won’t be able to activate your phone on the AT&T network until you successfully connect your iPhone to Apple’s iTunes program. For the iPhones in production at the time of publication, the computer system requirements are as follows:

» A Mac computer running OS X 10.5.8 or newer with a USB 2.0 port, or a Windows computer with a USB 2.0 port and Windows 7, Vista, or XP Home or Professional with Service Pack 3 or newer. Note that the system requirements are constantly changing as both iPhone and computer features evolve. We recommend viewing the most recent system requirements before you make any purchase decision (http://www.apple.com/iphone/specs.html).

» iTunes 9.2 or newer.

» iTunes Store account.

» Internet access.

Before you purchase an iPhone, make sure that you have a computer on hand that is up to the task.

 NOTE: If you haven’t installed iTunes on your computer, download a free copy from http://www.apple.com/itunes. Versions are available for both Mac OS X and Windows systems, and they’re easy and quick to install.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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How to select your iOS4 iPhone

At any given time, there are relatively few models of iPhones available, all of them come with iOS 4, representing a new generation of the operating system software that powers the features of the iPhone. Usually you’ll see an entry-level iPhone that is less powerful and has less memory, as well as the current model with state-of-the-art features and much more memory.

How do you choose the model that’s right for you? It all comes down to two factors: cameras and memory. The first generation of the iPhone 4 has two cameras: a 5-megapixel camera with an LED flash that’s capable of taking high-definition video and a front-facing camera that is perfect for shooting self-portraits and making video calls. As for memory, you need to make a decision about whether you want to double the purchase price of your phone for a few more gigabytes of memory. We recommend getting as much memory as you can. If you load a lot of movies and videos onto your device, you can run out of space on a top-of-the-line iPhone very quickly.

Here are some questions to ask you while selecting the model of iPhone to purchase:

» How big is your music library? If your library is small, a unit with less memory might be fine. If it’s large, the extra space on some iPhone models helps to store additional music and podcasts.

» How many videos do you want to carry around? A single two-hour movie may occupy more than a gigabyte of storage. If you travel a lot, especially on airplanes, you may want to pay more to store additional movies and TV shows with those extra gigabytes.

» Do you plan on using your iPhone as your primary camera and camcorder? If you do, then look at the more sophisticated models with higher resolution, flash, and high-definition (HD) video capabilities. If you already carry a digital camera or camcorder with you on a regular basis or don’t frequently shoot photos or video with your existing phone, then the base iPhone model may be for you.

» Is the thought of making video calls exciting to you? For some people, just answering a regular cell phone call is a challenge. But if you love to have regular face-to-face conversations with friends and relatives, then you may want to consider the model with the built-in FaceTime video calling feature.

» Do you need to carry lots of data? Many iPhone apps use iTunes data storage and can synchronize files with your computer. Whether that data consists of presentation slide shows, project management files, or some other information that you need at your fingertips, the size of the data being stored can add up quickly. If you think you might need to do this, maybe the extra gigabytes on a more expensive iPhone model could be put to good use.

» How long do you intend to keep this iPhone? If you’re an early adopter who likes to trade up at the earliest possible opportunity whenever Apple offers a new model of iPhone, you may want to “buy in cheap” each time the new models are released and sell your old iPhone on the aftermarket. If you’d rather get the most use out of the iPhone over the longest period of time, then paying more up front means you won’t outgrow the iPhone quite as fast.

Source of Information :  Taking Your iPhone 4 to the Max

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