Tips and tricks to improve your iPhone experience

The iPhone is a wonderful device that can enhance your productivity and your ability to communicate, but knowing a few tricks will help you get more out of it. Here are some tips to prevent problems and make the experience easier.

1: Take advantage of keyboard shortcuts

Have you been frustrated, as I have been, over the lack of a non-destructive backspace key? If so, the magnifying glass is probably the next best thing. If you touch and hold your finger on a line of input text, regardless of language, a circle that contains magnified characters will appear with an i-beam within the text. As you slide your finger to the left or right, the i-beam will move correspondingly and non-destructively.

When you get to the end of a sentence, after typing letter characters, you could type a period by first hitting the “123″ key, pressing the “period” key, and then pressing the “ABC” key to get back to the “letter keyboard.” However, you can avoid all these steps by remaining in the letter keyboard and pressing the spacebar twice after the last word of your sentence. Doing so will put a period after the last word, insert a space and capitalize the next letter you type.

2: Silence a call without ending it

What is the number one annoyance regarding cell phones? The inappropriate ringing, right? So when your iPhone rings unexpectedly, your first impulse is to hide. Your second impulse is to kill the call. However, consider a third option: Silence the call (i.e., the ringing) without ending the call via the Ring/Silent switch on the left side of the phone. That switch, which controls whether the iPhone rings when receiving a call, doesn’t just work when the phone is inactive. It works in real time as well, even when your iPhone is ringing, but before you answer.

Yes, you could also silence the phone by pressing “answer.” But your phone would then be live and the caller will be able to hear what’s going on — something you might not want. Using the Ring/Silent switch keeps the call active (even though you haven’t answered yet), silences the ringing, and gives you time to find the right place to answer.

3: The vibrate vs. non-vibrate decision is a setting

The choice of ring vs. silent is made via a switch on the phone. However, the choice of vibrate or non-vibrate is made via software, with the Settings app. You can choose whether the phone will vibrate, independently of the choice of ring vs. silent. In other words, you have four options regarding how the phone responds to a call: ring vibrate, ring non-vibrate, silent vibrate, silent non-vibrate. I know this is obvious to many of you, but it took me a long time to figure it out.
Note that in your Sound settings, you can choose vibrate options for both silent and ring modes. Of course, only one at a time will be in effect, depending on how your iPhone Ring/Silent switch is set.

4: Volume slider relates only to ring not to vibrate

At this moment, there is no way to control the volume of vibrate. What you have is what you have. The Volume slider in your settings controls only the volume of ringing, not the volume of vibrate. I found this fact out after becoming annoyed with my daughter, who was getting text messages every 10 seconds and whose iPhone was vibrating every 10 seconds as a result.

5: Remove from shirt pocket when using restroom

This point should go without saying, for reasons I prefer not to discuss. Find some place where you can secure the phone. Even better, put it in a separate place, perhaps a tray or table, but make sure you take it when you leave.

6: Put it in airplane mode when using the iPod for singing

If you are using your iPod app to play a backing track to accompany your singing, make sure you put the iPhone into airplane mode first. You don’t want a ringing phone to come at the most important part of your song.

7: Get out of phone screens before putting phone away

Did you make that last call from your Recents, Favorites, or a contact screen? If so, the iPhone returns to that screen after your call is ended. If you accidentally touch the telephone number field or an entry in your Recents or Favorites, you will call that person unintentionally. Be sure you get out of that screen after you end the call, particularly if you are putting the phone back into your pocket.

8: Carry a safety pin, tape, and expired credit card when traveling overseas

If you have the SIM-card iPhone (the AT&T iPhone) and you are traveling overseas, you might be able to purchase a temporary SIM card from a cellular company in that country. Of course, you must then unlock the phone — and unlocking involves risk, plus possibly voiding any warranty you might have. I am not recommending that you do or don’t unlock your iPhone.

Nonetheless, if you decide after careful thought to unlock your phone for this reason, consider carrying with you a safety pin or needle, tape, and an expired credit card. The safety pin or needle will allow you to eject the SIM card tray of the iPhone so that you can swap SIM cards. Then, keep your original SIM card safe by carefully taping it to the credit card. This way, you lessen the chance that the SIM card will be lost due to its small size, and you can reinsert it when you return home.

9: Beware of limited functionality with mobile versions of Web apps

The mobile version of a particular Web application often has fewer capabilities than its full Web counterpart. Before you plan to finish something using your iPhone, make sure you really can do so before you leave your home or office and your regular computer. In particular, the Facebook app has what I call the “Sorcerer’s Apprentice” syndrome. It lets you do certain things but doesn’t provide a way to undo them. For example, if you post something to a friend’s wall using your iPhone app, you can’t delete that post as you can with the Web version.

10: Wi-Fi may be worse than useless

Yes, Wi-Fi is often quicker than a cellular connection and can save you money because your uploads and downloads via Wi-Fi don’t count against your data quota. However, putting your iPhone into Wi-Fi mode may cause your phone to become stuck, even though you might have the correct security key. In that case, your Wi-Fi connection is actually preventing you from receiving or sending messages or Web information. If that happens, remember that your Settings app lets you turn off Wi-Fi.

Bonus tip: Apps remember where you were

Generally, an app will remember where you were when you left via pressing the home key. In other words, if you leave the app in midstream, the next time you return to that app, you will return to that very place. Whatever Facebook profile, email, or photo you were looking at will be what you see when you return. If you know you are the only one who will see the screen, and you are okay with this situation, fine. Otherwise, recognize that others might be using your iPhone or be around you when you use that app the next time. To avoid embarrassment, consider returning the app to a neutral starting position before exiting. For example, exit from that person’s photo or profile page back to the Facebook home page.

Before You Buy a Wireless Internet Router

 

 All wireless Internet routers might appear very much alike at first glance. In fact, many different wireless router models exist each with its own unique set of attributes. Use the checklist below to help decide which brand of wireless network router could work best for you.

Speed Ratings

Wireless routers typically advertise their speed in megabits per second (Mbps). Older Wi-Fi models offered 11 Mbps, mid-range 802.11g routers 54 Mbps and the latest Draft N routers claim up to 300 Mbps. You may be tempted to only look at those routers with the highest Mbps rating. However, consider that the actual performance you will achieve in practice typically averages much, much lower than the maximum rating shown on the package. Furthermore, even high speed routers cannot directly speed up your Internet connection. The extra speed boost from a faster router may not be worth the extra cost.

• Is 5 GHz Wi-Fi Better Than 2.4 GHz?

Popular Models

An old adage says: "There is safety in numbers." Odds are, if many people are buying a particular product, it's serving a useful need. Top selling network gear tends to be current generation technology but not cutting edge. If you tend to play it conservative and run with the pack, check sales rankings at online retailers to start building your wireless Internet router short list.

• Top 802.11g Wireless Internet Routers
• Top 802.11n Wireless Internet Routers

Warranties

Wireless Internet router manufacturers always provide a warranty package together with their equipment. The length and terms of these warranties vary widely. A better warranty may indicate a manufacturer more committed to support their products, while a lesser warranty could indicate a somewhat lesser standard of product quality or reliability. Always consider wireless router warranties when making your purchase decision.

• http://compnetworking.about.com/od/routers/f/router-warranty.htm

Ignore (Most of) the Success and Horror Stories Told by Others

Countless consumers post opinions of their particular wireless Internet router to blogs, message boards, retailer Web sites and elsewhere online. For most brands of routers, a confusing mix of positive and negative anecdotes awaits you. Due to the complexity of home networking today, any given brand of wireless router that performs flawlessly in one person's home network could fail miserably in yours. Bottom line: Don't let someone else's experience, good or bad, sway your decision too much.

Brand Matching with Network Adapters

Consider purchasing a wireless Internet router of the same brand as at least one of your wireless network adapters. The benefit is a small one, but sometimes vendors will optimize communication protocols of their own equipment; you may see slightly higher performance. Vendors may also more thoroughly test compatibility with their own equipment. If you don't own any adapters (or newer laptops with built-in wireless), consider purchasing all of your WiFi gear together from the same manufacturer.

Size and Style

In many households, wireless Internet routers are installed in a visible central area of the residence. Purchasing a stylish router can make this an attractive addition to the decor that you will be proud to show family and friends. Routers vary in both size and shape. If you plan to install the router in a confined space, ensure you pick one with a suitable form factor. Small business owners and others interested in portability may likewise consider the class of "travel router" products.

Cost and Budget

Manufacturers sometimes offer rebates or other discounts from the full retail price of their wireless routers. Like an automobile, even if a router is last year's model, you may still find one with all the essential features you need. Shop around and you're more likely to land a good value for your money.

• Cheap Wireless Routers

Take Our Interactive Wireless Router Quiz

Finally, if you are ready to explore specific models of wireless Internet routers, our interactive wireless router quiz will help you sort through the listing based on the preferences you enter. Give it a try.

How to improve your Wireless internet and network connection?

How to improve your Wireless internet and network connection? 

Microsoft Windows gives you a notification whenever your wireless network has a weak signal. This is a sign that you should improve your wireless network. When you get this notification, it means that the wireless connection is not as reliable or high-speed as it's supposed to be. In fact, the wireless connection signal may be completely lost in certain areas of the house. If you would like to improve your wireless network signal, you should carry out a few of these tips. These tips will extend the wireless range. They will also improve the overall performance as well as reliability of the wireless network.

Re-position the wireless router (or wireless access point) to the centre of the house.

Place the router away from walls.

Place the router off the floor.  

Place the router away from metal objects.

Instead of using a standard antenna which you get with the router, use a hi-gain one. If the standard router is placed by an outer wall, part of the wireless signals will be directed outside the house. This will also waste the power of the router. Hi-gain antennas send the wireless signals in a single specific direction which you are able to aim on the path where you need them a large amount.

Replace your laptop or computer's wireless network adapter with a USB network adaptor. It uses an external antenna that improves the range of the signals. (Laptops which have built-in wireless normally contain outstanding antennas. They do not usually require to be upgraded.)
Add a wireless repeater to extend the signal range.

Change the wireless router's channel to increase the strength of its signal. You can do that through the configuration page of the router. The computer will detect the new channel itself.

Reduce wireless interference by avoiding wireless electronics which use the 2.4GHz frequency. You should use cordless phones which use the 900MHz or 5.8GHz frequencies.
Update your firmware updates for your router through the manufacturer's website. Update your network adapter driver through the Windows Update feature of Windows 7 and Vista or visit the website www.update.microsoft.com for Windows XP.
Upgrade 802.11b devices to 802.11g or buy a new 802.11 g equipment.  It is five times faster than an 802.11b device. 

How to quickly repair your Mobile Phone dropped in water?

 

 

How to quickly repair your Mobile Phone dropped in water?

Many of you get your mobile phone wet by one way or another. You worry as you mistakenly drop your mobile phone in water. It can also get wet if you are out in a heavy rain.  However, there is no need to panic. It is possible to save your wet mobile phone by quickly repairing it. In order to save your mobile phone from water damage, you can consider these easy and simple solutions:

Act rapidly :

The first thing you have to do in order to save your wet mobile phone is to act rapidly. Quickly remove all the detachable parts as well as covers possible such as the back cover, battery, the SIM card, memory card etc. Next, take a piece of cloth or a tissue paper to wipe the excess water you are able to notice within the mobile phone. Make sure that you dry it completely. If you don' t do this, the water inside the mobile phone will begin to evaporate and gather in places which will be difficult to reach. 

This will save your wet mobile phone and it will start working if it was under water for just a little while.

Using a hairdryer :
Take a hairdryer and begin drying the mobile phone while giving more consideration to the place where the battery is located. The battery housing usually consists of tiny holes to let in air (so giving more space for water) inside the mobile phone.
Make sure that you are not holding the hairdryer very near to the mobile phone. Keeping it too close to the mobile phone may harm the electrical mechanism of the mobile phone. Keep on drying the mobile phone from a safe distance for about twenty to thirty minutes.

If solution number 1 and solution number 2 don't work, try solution number 3. 

Drying for a long time:
Take off the covers as well as battery from the mobile phone. Put the phone in a dry as well as warm place to let the water inside the phone evaporate gradually from the little holes in the mobile phone.

How to Download YouTube Videos: Easiest Way

YouTube is undoubtedly the most preferred website to share and watch favorite videos. Most users prefer to watch the videos online, while a few others like me, would like to download them so that, they can be saved and retained. Well, if you are one among those few who would like to download the videos from YouTube, then here is a way to do that.

In fact, there are many ways to download videos from YouTube, but here in this post, I would like to share with you one of the easiest way to do that. This can be done as follows:

1. Download and install the latest version of Internet Download Manager.

Internet Download Manager is a great add-on for your web browser which increases the download speed by 5 times. It also helps you to pause/resume and schedule your downloads. It has got a great interface and is user friendly. It works with most of the browsers including IE, Firefox, Chrome, Safari and Opera.

2. After you complete the installation, just open your browser and start searching for your favorite video on YouTube. You will see the download button on top of the video using which you can download it instantly.

3. Click on the “Download this Video” button to save the video onto your computer. The downloaded video will be in the flash video format (.flv).

4. You can use VLC Player to play the downloaded video or use SUPER to convert it to your desired format.

By using this trick, you can download almost all the buffering content on the Internet including videos from MySpace and Google. I hope you like this small post. Don’t forget to pass your comments. Enjoy  

####DownLoad Here ####

Zemana Antilogger: Download Link with One Year Free License

Zemana Antilogger: Download Link with One Year Free License

 

As announced earlier, I am posting the download link and license key for the Zemana Antilogger software. The license is valid for one full year right from the day of activation. This version of the software that you’re about to download now is specially designed for our readers and contains the logo of GoHacking.com.

If you’re unaware of what exactly Zemana Antilogger is, then please ready my previous post that contains the required details. You can download this program from the following link:

### Download Here ###

License Key

GOHACKING-ZAL-11

 

Please Note

You will have to activate your copy of Zemana antilogger within 2nd of Aug 2011, after which the license key will become invalid for usage. Once you activate within the specified date, you can use this product for one full year, free of cost.