by Jeff Carlson
I've owned an iPhone since shortly after it was introduced - yes, I was one of the saps who paid $600 for the original model just before Apple dropped the price to $400. Despite using it every day, and eventually upgrading to an iPhone 3GS, when I started writing "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps, I was happy to discover many new techniques that had previously slipped under my radar.
The $10 book covers the main built-in apps - Calendar, Phone and Contacts, Safari, Mail, Messages, Camera, Photos, Maps, Compass, and iPod (plus Music and Video on the iPod touch) - as well as Apple's free Remote app. It's available for purchase and download now, and there's also a bundle deal to buy it with Ted Landau's excellent "Take Control of iPhone OS 3," which was also just released.
Here are a few of my favorite techniques from the many I collected for "Take Control of Your iPhone Apps."
Silence an Incoming Call -- I don't always answer my phone. If the phone rings when I'm talking to someone face to face, I would rather the caller leave a message on my voicemail than to interrupt our conversation. One option is to tap the Decline button on the screen, but that involves more attention to the phone (and away from the person I'm with) than I'm often willing to give.
Instead, here are two excellent shortcuts you can perform when the phone is still in your pocket or purse:
* Press the power button once to silence the ringer; the phone still rings on the caller's end and then goes to voicemail.
* Press the power button twice to send the call directly to voicemail.
I like the second option better because the short amount of time between the first ring and going to voicemail tells the caller I'm aware of the call and not just away from the phone.
Set the Camera as Your Instant-On App -- If you frequently grab the iPhone to take photos, set the Camera app to launch when you double-press the Home button. You must still use the Slide to Unlock slider to wake the phone, but then you can double-press the Home button to go straight to the Camera.
Open the Settings application, go to General > Home and tap Camera in the list of options. If you listen to music often, set the iPod Controls switch to Off; otherwise, a double-press of the Home button brings up playback controls while music is playing.
The Best iPhone Camera Tip Ever -- The iPhone doesn’t capture a photo until you release the shutter button. Instead of tapping the button to take a photo, press and hold the button as you frame your shot. On the iPhone 3GS, you can still tap the screen to set a focus area with the button held down. When you’re ready to take the picture, release the button. This technique minimizes camera movement because you don’t have to both press and release the button with your finger.
Use Spotlight Search from the Home Screen -- The system-wide Spotlight search function turns out to be quite handy. Press the physical Home button to view the Home screen and then swipe to navigate to the screen to the left of the first Home screen. (You can also press the Home button, wait a moment, and press it again.)
If your iPhone or iPod touch is packed full of apps, you may find it easier to use Spotlight the way you would use something like LaunchBar on the Mac (see "LaunchBar 5.0.1 Runs on Snow Leopard, Adds Clipboard History," 20 October 2009). Start typing the name of the app and then tap it when it appears in the list of matches.
Source of Ipod tip
----Wow!! I did not know that.
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