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iPhone\iPad tips and tricks

iPhone Tips

1. Take a photo with your headphone cord:  Use the volume up or down button to snap a photo.
2. Dry out a wet iPhone: Don't turn it on!!!  Towel dry the phone.  Don't use a hairdryer - it can further push moisture into it.  Submerge the phone in uncooked white rice and leave it overnight.  You can also try using a desiccant packet you find with a new pair of shoes or leather purse.
3. Take pictures faster: if your iPhone is locked, you can double-tap the Home button and you'll see the camera icon you can tap to open the camera immediately.  You can use the Volume Up button to snap the photo.  You can also pinch the screen to zoom instead of using the slide bar.
4. Use location based reminders:  Siri can be used to set a reminder by saying "Siri, remind me to call home when I leave here" or "Remind me to call mom when I get home" and you'll be notified accordingly.
5. See a 6-day weather forecast:  If you're a weather junkie, you may already know you can swipe down the iOS device's screen and you'll see the Notifications center.  Weather will be at the top, but did you know you can swipe to the left or right and you'll toggle between current conditions and a 6-day forecast.  You can jump to the weather app by tapping anywhere on the weather bar inside Notifications screen.
6. Make your own ringtone: Don't settle with the ringtones provided by Apple, and you don't have to pay your carrier for more of them.  A free app called the free Ringtone Maker lets you take a clip from your favorite songs and make ringtones out of them in seconds.
7. Feel and see when people call:  Apple has added a number of accessibility features to iOS 5, specifically designed to assist those with hearing, vision, mobility, and other disabilities.  For example, those who are hearing impaired might opt to have the LED flash when a call comes in.  If you're seeing impaired, you could set a unique vibration pattern for different people in your Contacts, so you know who's calling.
8. Keep track of your texting limits:  If you don't have the best texting plan and don't want to unnecessarily pay to send more texts than you need, here's a tip to turn on the character count in the Messages app.  Enable this in the Settings>Message option to keep an eye on your word count.  Usually, your one text becomes two after 160 characters.

iPad Tips

1. Spread out the keyboard for easier typing:  This is for the iPad user - if you like typing while holding the tablet, rather than stretching your fingers or thumbs for those middle letters like G & H, you can drag the keyboard to each side of the screen to separate it into two, allowing you to easily type while holding it.
2. iBooks - make a note by pressing and holding a word and choosing the notepad; you can also highlight the word(s), underline, etc.
3. Digital picture frame: press the flower icon on the lock screen.  You can change the behavior of the photos in Settings>Picture Frame

iPhone and iPad Tips

1. Dismiss suggested words:  When the virtual keyboard suggests the correct spelling of the word - and you don't want to accept it - you don't have to tap the tiny X at the end of the word.  Tap anywhere on the screen to close the suggestion box.
2. Get word definitions:  Apple recently added a built-in dictionary and you can access it in most apps that let you select a word.  Simply press and hold on a word - such as in an e-mail,reminder, iBooks, etc. - and you'll see a pop-up option for "Define."
3. Revive a frozen device:  If it freezes on you and pressing the Sleep/Wake button on top doesn't do anything, don't panic.  Instead, press and hold the Home button and the Sleep/Wake button at the same time.  You'll be prompted to swipe the "Slide to Power Off" tab.  This is called a "hard reset".
4. Get more done in less time:  You can create shortcuts to words and phrases you use a lot, such as Perryville School District.  In Settings, go to General, then Keyboard, and select Add New Shortcut.  Now you can add new words or phrases and assign shortcuts to them (such as PSD) and it will type out the full word each time.
5. Select URL domains faster:  When typing a website address in Safari, you don't have to type the .com.  You can just type in yahoo in the URL box to get to www.yahoo.com.  On a related note, you can press and hold down the .com button and you'll see a list of alternatives to choose, such as .net, .org, and .edu.
6. Bookmarks: Add a bookmark for a website by touching the Go-to button and selecting Add Bookmark.
7. Find your lost device:  As long as you sign up in advance, the free Find My iPhone app will help you locate your devices on a map (on your computer or other iOS device).  You can display a message or initiate a loud ring (in case it's under the cushions), or remotely lock or wipe its data.
8. Save photos in Safari:  You're surfing the web in Safari and stumble upon a photo you'd like to save.  Simply press and hold on a photo when on a website and you'll be prompted with a menu asking if you'd like to "Save Image."  Once the photo is saved, you can view it offline, e-mail it or set it as wallpaper.
9. Edit photos:  edit photos by pressing the edit button.  you can rotate, enhance, crop and remove red-eye from pictures
10. Take a screen grab:  On a related note, if you want to take a screenshot of a website, press down on the Home button and tap the Sleep button.  You'll hear the camera click and see a white flash and the screenshot will be saved to your Camera Roll.
11. Get new sounds:  Apple has added the ability to select custom tones for incoming text messages, new emails, voicemails, tweets, calendar alerts, reminders, etc.  You can select something you like from within the Sounds menu.  You'll also notice you can scroll to the top of this list and you'll see a "Buy More Tones" option, which takes you to iTunes.
12. Zip to the top of the page:  In Mail, Safari, Contacts and other apps, simply tab the status bar at the top of the screen - the area that displays time, batter and cell bars - to jump back to the top quickly.
13. Add Apps:  The bottom tray has four apps.  You can add two more by dragging them to the tray.
14. Prolong your battery:  Speaking of the battery, here's how to squeeze more life out between charges.  Turn down the brightness of your screen, turn of wireless radios you don't use (such as GPS, Wi-If,or Bluetooth) and reduce the number of apps with info you have "pushed" to your phone.  Also, make sure you lock it before putting in your pocket, purse, or backpack.  It could turn on and drain the battery.
15. Charging your device:  If you are trying to charge the device by connecting it to your computer, use the back USB ports.  The ones in the front don't usually have enough power.
16. Learn some gestures:  Close any app quickly by putting your four fingers and thumb stretched on the screen and pinch inwards.  You can also magnify what's on your screen with a three-finger tap.  You'll first need to go to Settings, General, Accessibility, and select various gestures options here.
17. Create an "app" out of a website you visit often:  To add a website to your Home screen, visit the webpage in Safari and at the top of the screen, tap the Go To icon and slect "Add to Home Screen."
18. Create a music playlist on the fly:  You no longer need a computer to create a playlist.  In the Music app, tap Playlists, then select Add Playlist and give it a name.  Now tap any song or video to add it to the playlist.  You can add individual songs, entire albums, or all songs by a particular artist.
19. Don't waste your day deleting messages invidually:  You can delete unwanted emails en mass rather than deleting one at a time.  In your Inbox, click the Edit button and check all the emails you want to delete with your finger and then choose Delete.
20. Mirror your device with your TV:  If you own an Apple TV, you can instantly and wirelessly share exactly what's on your iPhone 4S or second and third generation iPad with your HDTV, connected to an Apple TV.  Double-tap the Home button and swipe all the way to the right and select AirPlay Mirroring.