iPhoto for iOS

With photo-editing apps among the most popular categories in the App Store, it's no surprise to see Apple stake its claim with an iOS version of iPhoto. Available both for iPhones and iPad 2 upwards, iPhoto is competitively priced - but how does it compare to rival apps?

iPhoto brings a few clever innovations to tablet-based editing. You can, for example, tilt the tablet to straighten a photo, and simply brush over areas with your finger to apply effects such as desaturation, darkening or sharpening -offering finer control than Snapseed's selective adjustments.

Sliders to control saturation, sky tone and greens to the photo as a whole are neatly implemented. Unusually, Apple has felt the need to include help tooltips to explain features and icons - anathema to its normal "it just works" attitude.

This first version of iPhoto is far from flawless, however. Performance - especially when using high-resolution JPEGs or the repair brush - is surprisingly sluggish, even with the new iPad's quad-core GPU. Edits can be lost without warning if you don't follow Apple's prescribed workflow. And the selection of artistic filters is not a patch on the creative filters within Snapseed, which can odd real impact to photos snapped on listless smartphone and tablet cameras.

Comparisons with Photoshop Touch are a little unfair: iPhoto is primarily a tool for touching up photos, while Photoshop adds enthusiast-grade features such os adjustment layers, marquee/lasso selections and curve controls. Yet, rarely does Adobe's more sophisticated palette of tools stutter in the same way as iPhoto's, suggesting Apple's developers have more work to do on multicore.

In short, for performing basic photo edits and creative effects we still prefer Snapseed, while iPhoto doesn't come close to the sophistication of Photoshop Touch for those who prefer fine control over their edits.

This app is designed for both iPhone and iPad $4.99

Read More

Transferring your iPhone or iPad to a new Mac

Most modern peripherals work fine with a Mac - all main printer brands have up-to-date Mac drivers, for example. But when you add a Mac to a home network, you may find that syncing an existing iPhone or iPad to it without wiping everything is difficult. But there is a way.

Step 1 : 

 
First, plug the iOS device into the PC you normally sync with, Load up iTunes, wait for it to be recognized in the bar on the left of the window, right-click and select Backup. Make sure you also Transfer Purchases to keep any apps or media you've bought directly on the device itself When you're happy it's backed up. disconnect the device.

Step 2 : 

 
Your backup now needs to be moved to the Mac. along with your music. Using a local network or external hard disk, copy everything in your iTunes folder to your Mac. For apps and other settings, locate your backup and copy the whole folder across. The precise source and destination folder paths are above.

Step 3 :
 

Without connecting your device to the destination Mac must yet, lire up (Tunes on it, go to Edit | Preferences I Devices and tick the box to Prevent iPods. iPhones and iPads from syncing automatically. Only then should you plug in the device, and authorize it when iTunes makes that request.

Step 4 :
 

Right-click on your device in the left menu and select Transfer Purchases. Then finally right-click and select 'Restore from Backup", Prowled you put all your files in the right place earlier, the sync should run and your files should remain intact.

If there are any problems, you still have the backup on your old computer.

Read More

Google And HTC Gear Up for War with iPhone 5

The next iPhone is on the horizon and two of Apple's main competitors, Google and HTC, have been preparing for its arrival by splashing the cash, investing in high-end hardware, a catalog of patents and the audio expertise and reflected cool of Dr Dre. Can all this offer them a killer edge in the war against Apple?


Google buys Motorola & HTC buys a stake in Beats

The deal

Google has snapped up Motorola Mobility -the part of the business that makes handsets - for £7.66 billion, acquiring 17,000 unused patents in the process.

HTC has forked out a relatively paltry £181.5 million for a 51 per cent share of Beats Electronics. As part of the deal, HTC handsets will benefit from Beats by Dr Dre's "dope" audio.

What it means for :

Google

Google's senior vice president of mobile, Andy Rubin, reassured Android fans that, "Our vision for Android is unchanged and Google remains firmly committed to Android as an open platform." Motorola's Droid has been one of the biggest-selling platforms for Android, at least in the US, while the Atrix was truly innovative. Moto's vast catalogue of patents should also prove handy for future R&D and as ammo in the endless Tech Copyright Wars™.

HTC

 
"This represents a critical step in our continued mission to clean up the destruction of audio caused by the digital revolution," says "opinionated", legendary producer Jimmy lovine, chairman of Beats by Dre. HTC will hope the deal helps its handsets go up against the iPhone in the MP3-playing stakes. It also further positions the Korean brand as cool and "street", as opposed to Apple's icy, corporate hauteur. But is premo audio quality really a killer USP in a phone?

What it means for Apple

Google

Increased competition from improved Android hardware. Samsung, LG, Sony Ericsson et al probably aren't overjoyed that Google is now in direct competition with them, but it seems too late for any of them to ditch Android now, so they'll just have to up their games... again.

HTC

Apple's title as the go-to brand for portable music is unlikely to be troubled - the iTunes ecosystem still boasts the foremost music store, and the best music management software, even if it is a tad bloaty.

iPhone 5 Rumours : Updated

Assuming the rumours which suggest a late September arrival are spot on, and we're going to take a punt and guess they are, some of you may be packing toothpaste and a flask of coffee for a long wait outside the nearest Apple Store as you read this. 

As we go to print, however, we are still wallowing in the realm of speculation, with a faster processor, 1080p video capture and some Apple-centric variant on NFC among the most likely additions.
 

Release options seem to include either an iPhone 5 and a cheaper, 8GB, slightly tweaked iPhone 4 - as usually happens with new iPhone releases - and/or, just maybe, a much cheaper, PAYG iPhone...

Buy Mobile Phones from : http://www.mobilephones.org.uk/

Read More

Regain a Dead Smartphone

What should you do when your Smartphone decides to play dead? Resist the urge to throw it against the nearest wall and try one of these techniques instead.

Soft Reset
 

All phones have a soft reset function, which is similar to restarting your computer. Beware that performing a soft reset will cause you to lose any data that isn't saved, but you will retain information previously stored on your smartphone.
 

■ MOTOROLA BACKFLIP. Power the phone off. Remove and reinsert the battery, then power the phone back on.

■ ANDROID (OTHER). All remaining Android models use a simple power cycle to perform a soft reset. Just turn the phone off and then back on again.
 

■ BLACKBERRY (QWERTY KEYBOARD). Press and hold the ALT-CAP-DELETE key combination. The display goes black for a second and your BlackBerry resets.
 

■ BLACKBERRY (SURETYPE KEYBOARD). Press the ALT-CAP and Right Shift-DEL keys. When the screen goes blank, release the keys.
 

■ BLACKBERRY (TOUCHSCREEN). Turn the BlackBerry off and remove the battery for at least 30 seconds. Reinstall the battery and turn the device back on.
 

■ IPHONE (ALL MODELS). Press and hold the Sleep/Wake button on the top of the iPhone and the Home button. Continue to hold both buttons (approximately 10 seconds) until the screen goes blank. You'll see the white Apple logo as the iPhone reboots.
 

■ NOKIA (ALL MODELS). Power the phone off and remove the battery for 30 seconds. Reinstall the battery and power the phone on. Alternately, you can enter the code *#7380# and select Yes.
 

■ PALM PRE. If the phone's menus are still active, select Device Info, Reset Options, then select Soft Reset. If the Palm Pre is locked up or frozen, hold the power button and cycle the ringer button on and off three times. If that doesn't work, press and hold the Orange, Sym, and R keys until the device reboots. Turn the phone off, remove the battery for 10 seconds, reinstall the battery, and power the phone up.

All other smartphones. You can generally perform a soft reset by powering the phone off, removing the battery for 30 seconds, and powering the phone back on.
 

Hard Reset 

A hard reset is a last-ditch option that returns your phone to its factory settings, which means you will lose all data and installed applications. Before you perform a hard reset, remove the memory card from your phone; that way you can recover data from the card later.

AT&T TERRESTAR GENUS. 

With the device turned off, press the red power key. When the TerreStar logo appears, press and hold the E-Power keys until a green checkmark appears in the lower-left corner. Release all keys. The device will power up and perform a factory reset.
 

ANDROID (ALL MODELS WITH FUNCTIONING MENU SYSTEMS).

One of the following menu-based systems for performing a hard reset should work, depending on the phone and version of Android. Open the application menu. Tap Settings, SD and Card Storage, Factory Data Reset, and follow the on-screen instructions.
• From the Home screen, tap Menu, Settings, Privacy, and Factory Data Reset, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
• From the Home screen, tap Menu, Settings, Security, and Factory Data Reset, and then follow the on-screen instructions.
When the menu system isn't functional, follow these phone-specific options to perform a hard reset.

■ DELL VENUE. With the device turned off, press and hold the Volume Up and Volume Down buttons. Without releasing the buttons, press and hold the Power button. When the device configuration screen appears, release all buttons. Use the Volume Up or Down button to move the selection to Factory Reset. Press the Camera button to select the Factory Reset option and start the reset process.

■ GOOGLE NEXUS ONE, NEXUS S. Turn the phone off. Press and hold Volume Down while you press and release the Power button. Use the Volume Down button to select Clear Storage from the list of options. Press the Power button, and confirm your selection by pressing the Volume Up button.

■ T-MOBILE COMET. If possible, back up your data to Google's servers by selecting Privacy from the Settings screen. Select the Back Up My Data option. When the backup is complete, return to the Settings screen and select Privacy and Factory Data Reset. When prompted, tap Reset Phone, then tap Erase Everything.

■ T-MOBILE G2X. If possible, back up your data to Google's servers by selecting Privacy from the Settings screen. Select the Back Up My Data option. When the backup is complete, power off the phone. Press and hold the Power/Lock-Volume Down keys for at least 15 seconds. The phone should turn back on and perform a factory reset. If the screen is frozen, or the phone doesn't turn back on, remove the battery, wait 30 seconds, then reinstall the battery and try again.
 

■ MOTOROLA DROID. Turn the phone off. Press and hold the Power-X keys to force the phone into recovery mode. Next, press and hold the Volume Up-Camera key to display the recovery menu. Select Wipe Data/Factory Reset from the menu, and then select Reboot Phone.

■ MOTOROLA DROID PRO, DROID 2 GLOBAL. Select Settings, Privacy, and Factory Data Reset. When prompted, tap Reset Phone to erase all data and return the phone to factory conditions.

■ MOTOROLA BACKFLIP. Power the phone off. Press and hold the Power and Camera buttons. When the phone turns on, release the Power button but continue to hold the camera button until prompted to release it. Next, press the Volume Down button. After 15 seconds, a yellow triangle with an exclamation point will appear. With your phone closed, tap the bottom-right corner of the display and select Wipe Data/Factory Reset. Press OK and follow the on-screen instructions.

■ BLACKBERRY (ALL MODELS). Remove the battery for 30 seconds. Reinstall the battery and turn the phone back on.

■ BLACKBERRY STYLE, BOLD, STORM, CURVE, TOUR, TORCH. Click the Options icon on the Home screen. Select Security and then Security Wipe. Select all three of the available checkboxes to perform a complete wipe and reset the device to factory condition. Type the word BlackBerry and click Wipe.

■ HTC ARRIVE, HD7, SURROUND. Press Start and tap the right-facing arrow. Tap Settings, About, and then tap Reset Your Phone. Tap Yes, and then tap Yes again.
If the screen is frozen, turn the device off. Press and hold the Volume Up-Down buttons and briefly press the Power key. When the screen displays instructions for resetting the device, release the Volume Up-Down buttons.

■ IPHONE (ALL MODELS). From the Home screen, tap Settings, General, Reset, and Reset All Settings. This action resets all preferences but retains applications and data. If that doesn't work, from the Home screen, tap Settings, General, Reset, Erase All Content, and Settings. This will delete all data and applications and return the iPhone to factory conditions.
 

■ NOKIA (ALL MODELS). With your phone powered on or in standby mode, type *#7370# and select Yes, when prompted. You may need your Lock Code for confirmation. The default lock code is 12345. If your phone doesn't turn on, try pressing the On/Off button, *, and 3 simultaneously.

■ MICROSOFT WINDOWS PHONE 7 (ALL MODELS). Press Start and tap the right-facing arrow. Tap Settings, About, and Reset Your Phone. Tap Yes, and then tap Yes again.
 

■ PALM PRE. Open Device Info, tap Phone Reset Options, and then tap Full Erase twice. If your Palm Pre is frozen, and you are unable to use the menus to perform a reset, try running the latest version of webOS Doctor (ws.palm.com/webosdoctor /sorry.htm) to troubleshoot and reset the device. Then follow the on-screen instructions. 

Read More

The A to Z Tips and Tricks of iOS 4

From a purely cosmetic point of view, the recent iOS 4 update doesn't exactly leap out of your iPhone and slap you around the face. In fact, we wouldn't blame you if you weren't even aware of its existence. However, while on the face of it your device is almost exactly the same as it ever was, delve a little deeper and there are scores of intuitive, practical and often downright ingenious new features waiting to be discovered. From app folders and Game Center to multi-tasking and AirPrint, here is our run down of how iOS 4 can make your life easier.

1. Organize your apps

One of iOS 4's headline features is the ability to group your apps into separate folders. Just the thing if you're a hopeless app hoarder picking up a nasty case of RSI from cycling through five or six separate menu screens. All you have to do is drag one app over another and. hey presto you've got your folder. Your device will automatically give it a name category - 'games', 'business' etc - but to give it your own title just tap on it and hold until the keyboard pops up. To add other apps to the folder simply drag them onto it.

2. Create folders in iTunes

To arrange your apps into folder on your desktop computer, connect your iOS device onto your PC or MAC, select it on the left-hand list, and click 'Apps' along the top. You can then drag and drop your icons around.

3. Playlist on the move

While there was a playlist feature in the iOS prior to version 4, it was well hidden and hard to use. Thankfully, it's been given an intuitive, accessible makeover, making it much easier to use. To make a playlist on the move, just hit the '+' tab in the iPod app. You'll be able to give the playlist a name, add songs and edit it at your leisure.

4. A unified mail inbox

Got more than one email account synced to your device? Tired of cycling between the two? Good news- iOS 4 now unifies all your accounts into a single inbox. When replying to a message it will automatically send it from the correct account. To view your accounts separately, just tap on the desired inbox in the main email menu.

5. Thread your email

As well as that aforementioned unified inbox feature. You'll now find your messages appearing as thread trees, which organize discussions under one tab. The update will do this as default, but if you'd rather switch back just hit the 'Organize by thread' toggle in your settings menu.

6. Resize your email attachments

Sharing your photos you'd taken using your iPhone with OS 3 via email could be difficult, with the device automatically shrinking images to fit. iOS 4 now gives you options whenever you try to attach a photo to an email. You can either keep pictures at their original size, or you can use degree of compression.

7. Smart links

When reading email or other text files, you may have notices some highlighted text. These are context-sensitive smart links. If it's a date, it'll refer you to your calendar so you can add an entry; if it's an email address, it'll open a new message window; or if it's say, a UPS tracking number, you'll be referred to the relevant webpage.

8. Hide message copy when a text comes in

You can now hide a message contents when receiving a text. Set your device to display a cleaner window that only shows the sender's ID by going to Settings->Messages and toggle Show Preview to the 'Off' position.

9. Easy iPod controls

There's a nifty shortcut to bring up your iPod controls while you're in an app. Rather than closing it down and tapping the iPod icon, double-tap the home button and swipe to the right: your music playback controls will appear.

10. Control music apps with iPod controls

You can also control streaming apps such as Spotify using the double-tap home, then swipe right trick when you're playing from that app. If you pick another music app the one you're playing fades out.

11.  Multi-tasking

Sick of having to shut down and restart apps whenever you want to tackle more than two things at once? Well, your troubles are over. iOS 4 has added multi-tasking to your device's toolset. You can now have upto seven different apps running at the same time. To cycle between the ones you've got open. Just double tap on the home button while you've got an app open. Should you want to close one down to free up memory, just tap and hold over the relevant app to bring up a '-' button.

12. Turn off cellular data

  

If you're on a monthly payment plan that has a data limit or you're traveling abroad and need to keep an eye on roaming fees then this is a thoughtful new addition. You can now turn off cellular data in the system settings to ensure that you don't pick up any unwanted surplus charges when using your device over the 3G network.

13. Improve your security

Hiding secret missile launching codes on your iPhone? If so, iOS 3's security options may have cut the mustard. Happily, that's remedied with iOS 4. Whereas before you were limited to 4 digits, you can now set longer alphanumeric access codes. To make the change, go to the General tab in your settings and set 'simple Passcode' to off.

14. Add words to the dictionary

The iOS dictionary is comprehensive, but on the odd occasion where it doesn't recognize what you're trying to type (or chooses to ignore your use of more colorful words), you can now add the word into your user dictionary. Head on over to Settings -> General -> Keyboard -> Edit User Dictionary.

15.  Speak the Queen's English

Folders, multitasking, camera zooms and so forth or all great additions to the iOS tool set, but one tweak towers above them all: the ability to switch between US and British English. Atlast, no more extraneous Zs and missing Us. Just tap the globe icon whenever the keyboard pops up to make the change.

16. Filter contents for your kids

For those worried about what their children might be viewing, iOS 4 has extended the range of parental controls. You can set a password-enabled rating for music, movies, TV shows as well as restricting access to apps and location sharing services. Take a look at Settings->General->;Restrictions for the full range.

17. Toggle location services

There are a huge number of apps that use location services to pinpoint where you are at any given one moment. Most are useful, however, occasionally it's just plain nosey. iOS 4 now lets you turn off location services on an app-by-app basis. Just go to Settings -> General-> Location Services and check the ones you want turned off.

18. Spellcheck your emails

You need never make a shame-inducing typo ever again as the iOS now has a comprehensive built-in spellcheck feature that underlines dubious words in red, as well as offering you a list of possible alternatives when tapped.

19. Stream music to your stereo

iOS 4's AirPlay feature lets you stream music, pictures or films from your device to a compatible stereo or TV. Just hit the AirPlay icon on the iTunes control bar while playing relevant media you're away.

20. Add accents to letters

Another neat linguistic trick is the ability to add different accents to letters such as the acute accent or the umlaut. Just hold down on a letter while typing to bring up a range of different options for it. Then click on the one you wish to use.

21. Find your iPhone

Apple's MobileMe service has been letting you track down missing iPhone for a couple of years now. However, until now you've had to pay for the privilege. As of the iOS 4 2.1 update, the service is now free to use for all iPhone 4 users. To set it up, go to Settings -> Mail, Contacts, Calendars -> Add Account->MobileMe. Type in your Apple ID, verify your account then check the Find My iPhone box. To check your phone's location, login to www.me.com and enter your details as instructed.

22. Lock your screen orientation

Tired of constantly tilting the screen to get its orientation right? With iOS 4 you can now lock its position. Perfect for trapeze artists who like to check their email while on the job. Double tap the home button, swipe to the right to bring up iPod controls, then hit the screen lock tab in the bottom-left corner.

23. Browse Wikipedia from the home screen

Here's another shortcut that was added with the release of the latest iOS update. Rather than pull up safari, you can now search Wikipedia, or the web, straight from your home screen. Simply swipe to the left to bring up the Search panel, type in your request and then select 'Search Wikipedia' or 'Search Web' from the options provided.

24. Search for keywords in Safari

As well as making your SMS archive more accessible, you can now also search for keywords in web pages opened in Safari. Just type your term into the 'Google' search window in the top-right corner. As well as search engine results, you'll also be given any results on the page you're currently on. Isn't it Handy?

25. Customize your calendar

iOS 3's calendar was fairly rigid, stubborn old beast. However, its iOS 4 successor is markedly more flexible to use. You can now toggle different aspects of your calendar. Just pull up the app and hit the tab in the top-left corner to turn on or off different event types, such as birthdays, business, personal and so on.

26. Check out HDR photography

Not aware of HDR photography? It's a technique that produces vivid, life-like images by combining several different near-simultaneous shots of a scene all taken at different exposure settings. You can now give it a try with your iPhone 4 thanks to iOS 4. Just tap the HDR On/Off button at the top of the camera interface.

27. Geo-locate your photos

Being able to tag any photos with geographical location is old hat if you use iPhoto on a Mac computer. However. the feature has now made its way over to the iOS Photo app. iOS 4 will geo-locate an image when you take it, but only if you've given it permission to do so. If you're unsure, check the 'Location Settings' are turned on.

28. Turn on caps lock

A little known iOS fact - there's a caps lock function that you have to turn on in Settings->General->Keyboard. Switch it on then and then double tap the shift button when you're typing to use it.

29. Customize your keyboard

For the eccentrics among you not happy with the QWERTY keyboard configuration, iOS 4 now lets you tweak your layout. Head over to the keyboard tab in Settings, tap international Keyboards->English then make your choice.

30. Plug in a keyboard

If you use your device as a surrogate office while you're on the road you may have yearned for the option to use a Bluetooth keyboard for easier typing. Yearn no more - iOS 4.2 finally lets you do just that.

31. Make video calls

The iPhone 4 now lets you make video calls via the FaceTime feature. It's simple to use - either find a contact in your address book and hit the FaceTime button to make a call, or just tap the FaceTime icon mid-call to turn on the feature.  The person you're calling will have a compatible device of course - and once they've a compatible device of course - and once they've acquiesced you're all set. The resolution isn't exactly HD, but look for improvements with forthcoming updates.

32. iMovie for iPhone 4

You'll need to shell out £2.99 in the App Store for the privilege, but if you've got an iPhone 4, you can now use iMovie to edit video footage on the device. It's not quite as fully-featured as the Mac computer version of iMovie, but nevertheless it's still a great piece of software for any budding Spielbergs out there.

33. Set your own wallpaper

Whereas you've always been able to set your lock screen wallpaper, a long-overdue addition is the ability to set your own home screen background too, rather than using one of Apple's defaults. To use an image that's stored in your device's photo roll, just go to the wallpaper menu in Settings and then make your choice.

34. Camera zoom

Apple sure took its time to add this most-wanted feature. You can now zoom in on a subject when taking a picture with your device. To do so, just tap on the screen when composing a shot to bring up the slidable zoom bar. Be aware though, the more you zoom in, the more you're degrading the quality of your final image.

35. iBooks

With iOS 4, you can now download and read books on the go via the iBooks app. You;ll need to download it (free) from the App Store, but once installed it's very easy to use. To add a book to your library, tap the store tab in the top-left corner to browse for a book. Once downloaded, the item will be added to the bookshelf.

36. Focus while shooting video

Find yourself needing to focus on your subject while shooting video with your iPhone 4? With the iOS 4 update, now all you have to do is tap once on the screen and your device will adjust accordingly. The may be an obvious new addition, but it's one of the most useful if you capture a lot of video footage with your device.

37. SMS character counter

For those of you keeping track of how many text messages you send, iOS 4 now counts the number of characters you've typed in an SMS message. This is handy if you don't want to unknowingly be charged for three texts for one long message. Be aware, the counter only shows once you've typed 50 characters.

38. Sync iPhone playcounts

In days of yore, synching your iPod playcounts and track ratings from your phone to your desktop iTunes was a cumbersome process. However, with the new iOS it will do so automatically when you connect to your desktop.

39. Pick your search engine

Apple has finally taken the note that not everybody wants Google as their default search engine when using the in-built Safari web browser. To switch over to Yahoo or Bing, head over to Settings->Safari->Search Engine. Simple.

40. Search your SMS library

Looking for a specific text message, or even a particular keyword, in your SMS inbox? iOS 4 has added a straightforward search function to your SMS inbox that enables you to quickly find the specific message you're looking for.

41. Play games online

Courtesy of iOS 4.1, you can now play any enabled App Store game online against your friends, compare your highest scores or pick up special in-game Achievement badges. To get started, open the app and login with your Apple ID. Once you've done that, you can send a friend request to the contacts in your Address Book, check the global leaderboards for titles you own already or jump straight into a game with a stranger by tapping on one of your titles. More games are adding functionally all the time so keep checking for app updates.

42. Voice controlled clock

If you've never used the iPhone's clever but limited Voice Control app then here's a good reason to give it a go:the iOS 4 update added a handful of new commands for your portable HAL. You can now ask your phone "What time is it? " or, if you're in iTunes, "Who sings this song? " Stanley Kubrick would be very impressed.

43. Add SMS tones to your contacts

The iPhone has always let you apply a different text message tone to a contact so you know exactly who is getting in touch with you without looking at your device. However, with iOS 4, there's now a much wider range of different jingles. To add a tone, just pull up a contact, hit the text tone tab and make your choice. 

44. Hide your caller ID

Don't want the person that you're calling to know your number? No problem-with iOS 4 you can now hide your caller ID. To implement the feature, go to Settings->Phone->Show My Caller ID and then toggle it to the "Off" position. You are anonymous from the people you're calling.

45. Save PDF files

As well as letting you enjoy best selling literature on the move, the iBooks app (see number 35) also allows you to save any PDF files you've downloaded for repeat viewing. Just open a PDF attachment in your mail folder a PDF attachment in your mail folder then hit the 'Open in iBooks' tab in the top-right corner. The PDF will then automatically be stored for posterity.

46. Sync Faces

Another feature that has made the transition from iPhoto on the Mac computer is the ability to view Faces tags on your device. While you're not able to add new Faces on your device just yet, you are able to sync existing entries from iPhoto on your home Mac computer through iTunes.

47. Print documents wirelessly

You can now wirelessly print out any emails, photos, webpages or notes from your device at the tap of a button using iOS 4's AirPrint feature. Be aware though, it's only currently compatible with a handful of HP printers. For a list of compatible device, visit : 

http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/airprint

48. Photograph yourself

In case you hadn't noticed, the iPhne 4 has added a second front-facing camera to the hardware. To snap a quick self-portrait, tap the icon in the corner of your camera app to switch between the two different lenses.

49. Rotate YouTube clips

The built-in YouTube app on iOS devices just got a bit easier to use. You can now flip between landscape and portrait views at will, and you also have the ability to zoom into clips for a closer look by simply tapping on the screen.

50. Never forget a birthday

A new calendar feature automatically collates your friend's birthdays (as long as you've already added them to their card in your address book) and places them on your calendar. Now you've got no excuse for forgetting to send that card!

If you know some more Tips and Tricks, please share with us in the comments below. 

Read More

Why Android is Better than iPhone ?

Recently my sister has bought a new phone. Previously she was using iPhone but now she purchased one Android based phone, What is the reason? Is network providers to blame? Are the restrictions that providers set in place with Apple limiting innovation?

Android phones can do things better than iPhone and are far better than iPhone. Below are the reasons :

Availability:

Android phones are almost universally available, unlike the iPhone, which is available only at Apple Stores and a select few stores. Also, nearly all Android phones are available almost instantly in India when they are launched worldwide, but the iPhone is available in USA first than in other nations usually after a year, when it is already too old.

Network lock:

The major drawback of iPhone is, it is sold with a network lock - it works only with one mobile service provider to which it is subscribed, and you cannot use it with another provider. Android phones do not have any such restrictions and the users are free to use any network of their choice.

Price:

With Style and features, money also matters. When a new iPhone is launched, it is priced exorbitantly and is out of reach for most customers. Whereas, Android phones are a mixed bag as far as price is concerned, as there are so many of them that almost every price segment is covered and you can choose the Android phone that suits your pocket. .

Widgets:
 
Widgets are valuable because they can provide an at-a-glance look at lots of different kinds of information and quick access to valuable apps and configuration settings. Android phones have screen with widgets with an actual purpose, giving you information at the flick of your finger tip.

For example, Data Counter widget instantly displays data usage to check your internet usage, On the other hand, Twitter widget keeps you updated with your Tweets.

No need for software application on the computer:

iPhone needs iTunes on your computer for syncing to do just about anything on the iPhone, such as transferring applications, music, videos or contacts. In addition, you can sync it with only a limited number of computers. Android phones do not need any such application - simply plug the phone into any computer and exercise complete control over your phone.

Data transfer is as easy as drag and drop. On a side note, I deem the SD card expandable memory option in the Android phone to be better than having no memory slot as in the iPhone, because you can carry additional memory cards with you and use when required without worrying about running out of memory.

Convenience:

You can instantly switch on or off Bluetooth, Wi-Fi, Mobile Network or GPS on the Android phone just by simply clicking on the provided buttons on the home-screen. This goes a long way in conserving battery life. In the iPhone, you have to go deep into the settings to be able to enable or disable these features.

Better web browser:

The web browser on the Android phone is really awesome. To know the reality, you have to use it personally. It is faster than Safari, has every feature that you expect from a web browser, and supports Flash. Being an operating system developed by Google, as expected Google is integrated deep into the heart of Android. Thus, if you want to search, simply enter the search button and enter your search string and the results will appear with no delay. There is also Google Voice app available for Android.

Of course, the browsing experience varies with the speed of the processor inside the Android phone, which means that you will get the best browsing experience on the more expensive phones. Also, we must mention here that the web browser on the iPhone 4 is supposed to be the best around, but we don't get the iPhone 4 here in India and even if we were to import it, it is too expensive. 

Notification system:

In the iPhone, there is a very limited notification system. For example, if you are a Twitter user, then you need to open the Twitter app to find the tweets.

In Android based phones, notifications are organized in a better fashion. These apps can access the notification system of the operating system and alert you on the notification bar to a new email, voice message, and Twitter or Facebook notification, in addition to SMS. The application runs in the background and you do not need to open it to find out the status.

Click image below for information about app design :

 (Click image to enlarge)

Apps from Market:

Just like the App store from Apple, there are lots of apps for Android available in the Android Market. Just about every iPhone app has an equivalent, which is usually free. The coolest part is that you need not sign into your account every time you want to install an app from the Market, even if the app is free. And yes, Market has more liberal censorship laws for Android apps - Google does not play the moral police.

Unlimited personalization:

Android phones can be personalized the way you want. Thus, you can make the phone appear the way you want, and behave the way you wish.

  

Depending on the type of user you are, you can configure each desktop to serve your needs. If you are a business user, you may want a screen with contacts, emails, stocks and news updates via RSS, etc. A social network user may want to have a Facebook desktop, a Twitter desktop, and so on. You can even add a whole new desktop if you want and set default actions for different contacts. This is the power of Open Source that is not available in iPhone.

OS update makes your phone better:

Updating the operating system on an older iPhone such as installing iOS 4 on the iPhone 3G, usually affects the performance in the negative way, forcing me think whether it is a strategy by Apple to force you into buying their newer iPhone. Forget about preventing the OS being updated in older devices after a certain version, Apple does not even care to warn the users against the ill effects of updating the OS on older devices.

Android on the other side, has been seen to actually make the phones work faster with the updated OS. Better still, to avoid any problems as we have seen in the previous example, a trend has been seen where most Android phone manufacturers play safe by setting a limit that an Android phone can update its OS only twice in its lifetime.

Some of the above limitations can be overcome by Jailbreaking the iPhone, but then would you risk voiding the warranty on such an expensive device? I wouldn't.

So at last, i have some good enough reasons to decide to go for an Android phone. Please tell me your views in the comments section below. 

Read More