20 iPhone tips you'll wish you knew all along by: Sharon Profis

Close three apps at once

Need to force-close multiple apps fast? At the risk of looking like you're clawing at your phone, you can close up to three apps at once by swiping up with three fingers.

Quickly shut off the flashlight

Included in iOS's Control Center is access to a flashlight. Once enabled, you can quickly shut it off by using the camera shortcut from the lock screen.

Hidden bubble level

Leave your lime-green bubble level in the drawer. iOS's built-in leveling tool uses the phone's gyroscope to help you find out if an object is perfectly horizontal (or vertical).

To access it, launch the compass, then swipe right to reveal the level.

1 of 20

Use bold, italics, and underlining

In some apps like Mail, you can use rich formatting to make text bold, italics, or underlined. But if you don't know it exists, you might miss it.

Just highlight the text you want to edit, and tap the arrow in the copy/paste pop-up. Then, choose "B I U" to access the formatting options.

Quickly 'go back'

Unlike Android, the iPhone doesn't have a dedicated "back" button. But, a little-known gesture makes that completely acceptable.

In Messages, Mail, and even Safari, simply swipe right from the edge of the screen to go to the previous window. The gesture even works in some third-party apps like Instagram.

10 earbud controls

The stock earbuds are full of hidden talents. With them, you can snap a photo, ignore calls, and more. There are 10 shortcuts in total, and they're all outlined right here.

Create custom vibration alerts

Want to know if your best friend is calling without ever looking at the phone? Buried in the contact settings, a fun option lets you create custom vibration patterns for your contacts.

To do it, go to Contacts, choose a contact, and tap Edit in the upper-right corner.

Then, scroll down and navigate to Vibration > Create New Vibration. In the interactive screen, tap and hold to create a pattern, using long presses for long vibration notes, and so on.

Lock focus and exposure

When the camera is active, tapping the screen sets the focus and exposure for that object. But, the moment the camera moves, these settings are lost.

To lock the focus and exposure, tap and hold until you see a yellow bar appear at the top of the screen, Even if you change your composition, the focus and exposure will be unaffected.

Here are more tips for taking stellar iPhone photos.

Be more frugal with data

If you're watching your data usage, it's a good idea to use a feature introduced in iOS 7: cellular data management.

With this tool, you can decide which apps get to use cellular data, and which apps can load only over Wi-Fi.

Head over to Settings > Cellular to disable cellular data usage for any installed apps.

Find out what the locals use

When you're traveling, it's a good idea to find out which apps the locals love most -- especially public transportation apps.

To see what locals are downloading, go to the App Store and tap Near Me at the bottom.

1

Search text messages

Here's another one you might only stumble upon. To find a specific text message, use the search bar at the top of the message interface.

Don't see it? Pull down to reveal it, or tap the top bar.

Use iMessage overseas

When you're connected to in-flight Wi-Fi or traveling without a data plan, you can still send text messages to iPhone-using friends.

Just head to Settings > Messages and make sure Send as SMS is disabled, and that iMessage is enabled.

Long-press for more characters

Hidden beneath the unassuming characters of the iOS keyboard is a world of letters and symbols only available with a long-press.

For example long-pressing the dash key reveals em and en dashes, while long-pressing the numeral 0 lets you insert a degree symbol.

Reveal timestamps

To see when a message was sent, drag the message screen to the left, and the timestamps will be revealed.

Siri's hidden features

Siri can handle really complex commands. She can even do things like set your alarm, and learn how to properly pronounce names. Get to know all 20 of Siri's hidden talents in this guide.

Charge your phone much faster

Sometimes you need to charge your phone fast. The fastest way to do that? Airplane mode.

With all sending and receiving of data cut off, your phone will charge much faster. Just be sure to leave the backlight off, too.

Shoot in burst mode

Thanks to the iPhone 5S's fast processor, the camera now lets you shoot in burst mode, snapping multiple photos per second.

It's great for capturing sports, kids, and special moments you want every bit of.

Increase battery life

Spotlight is really useful for quickly surfacing data on your phone. In order to do that, however, the tool needs to constantly survey your phone for new data and index it.

To temper the effects on your battery, go to Settings > General >Spotlight and uncheck the items you don't necessarily need indexed.

For longer battery life, change these settings, too.

Protect your privacy

This tip will save your battery life and your privacy. Far, far into iOS's privacy settings is a setting that, when enabled, sends Apple your location data.

Some people don't care. If you do -- and you want a battery boost while you're at it -- disable the feature. Go to Settings > Privacy > System Services to toggle the option.

Faster Touch ID recognition

Touch ID seems to have a beef with certain fingers, consistently requiring multiple scans before unlocking the device.

If this sounds familiar, try this: Go to Settings > Touch ID & Passcode. Here, enroll the same finger two to three times by choosing Add a fingerprint.

Doing so will give Touch ID more information about your finger patterns, resulting in a faster scan.

Smartphone photography tips and tricks you should know by Marc Flores

Photography Tips and Tricks - Thanks for the tips Marc Flores!

Related stories

• Ember lights up your night iPhone photography
• Best iPhone camera and photo editing apps
• Don't blame the HTC One M8's camera

Smartphone photography, iPhoneography, mobile photography or whatever you want to call it, it's clear that taking great pictures with a phone has become a thing now.

What does that mean, exactly? It means that folks are creating works of art from the smartphones, and those pieces also go up in galleries or are made into prints. That's the extreme end, of course, but on the other we have Instagram photos that look totally killer.

If you own a smartphone made in the last year, chances are it has a pretty damn good camera on it, too. And if you're reading this article, perhaps you're curious about taking better pictures with that smartphone.

Before we dive into it, just know this: learning and knowing how to do it is the easy part. The hard part is creating something magical with that knowledge, but by knowing how to get there, your chances of making pretty pictures improve.

Smartphone photography apps

You might be thinking that any old photo can be made to look nice with all the photography apps out there. It's sort of true, but at best they can make bland photos look somewhat interesting. But that's not what you want - you want control over how your images look, and that's what apps should help you do.

The first thing you'll need is an app that helps you control focus and exposure of your camera. Some smartphones will allow you to do this by default, like the Nokia Lumia 1020. Other phones give you the option to set focus and exposure at the same time, but not independently, like theiPhone 5S.

However, there are plenty of apps out there that will allow you to do both, like Pro Camera 7 or Camera+ for the iPhone. That's what you'll need as a good starting point for taking good photos.

After all, if you can't control your exposure or where your camera focuses, you might as well give up and buy a proper camera.

The next set of apps you'll want are the ones that will allow you to control basic things like contrast, white balance, color saturation and brightness. Most photos straight out of camera are flat, so you'll want apps like Snapseed or Photoshop Touch to fine tune them.

Here is a list of apps you should start with if you're on the iPhone, but you'll find very similar ones - if not their exact counterparts - on Android, too.

1. Learn to use your camera software

This might seem like a no-brainer, but you'd be surprised at just what your smartphone camera can do.

Perhaps you're familiar with some of the basic operations, like switching between the camera and video modes, or turning your flash on and off or putting it on auto. But did you know that your camera likely has some scene modes, too? Or panorama and HDR features?

Don't be afraid to tinker with your iPhone or Android device's camera. It has plenty of memory for photos, so you can play with the different features, effects and settings and snap lots of photos.

Soon, you'll know your way around the camera software like it's second nature. And that's exactly what it should become - you don't want to miss any moments because you're busy fumbling with your camera's settings.

2. Learn compositional basics

This might sound boring, but learning the basics is tried and true. There are plenty of resources out there for this, but here are a few things to keep in mind.

First, we'll start with the rule of thirds. If you're just starting out, think of it as a hard rule before you start breaking it. With the rule of thirds, imagine a grid of lines on your smartphone's display, dividing it into thirds both horizontally and vertically. In fact, most smartphones come with an option to display that very grid.

With the grid up, try placing your subjects along those lines or at the points where the lines intersect. It will make the photos much more interesting than being smack dab in the middle of your frame.

You can do this with subjects like lighthouses, people, flowers and everything else. But it's also a good idea to do this with your horizon lines, too, so that your horizon never cuts through the center of your frame.

Once you get into the habit of following the rule of thirds, you'll start to have a better sense of a photo's balance. When you're at the stage where you think you're getting the hang of it, start breaking the rule and see what works and what doesn't.

3. Learn how to see light

If you're going to go out and make pictures that impress your friends, you're going to need good light. What is good light, exactly?

Good light is the kind of light that gives a scene shape, depth and makes things look interesting. Generally, shooting indoors with artificial light or outdoors midday or with overcast skies is bad, flat and boring light. You'll know flat light when you see it - there are few shadows, if any, and everything looks evenly lit.

Look for light with some kind of direction and color. This type of light happens naturally at just before sunrise and at sunset. Alternatively, window light is great because it has direction and it's often soft and a little diffuse, so it's not harsh on your subjects.

Good light is especially important in mobile photography because you can't create much more interest with different focal lengths and varying depth of field. You're stuck with one focal length, and one aperture setting. It's a very good exercise in shooting light and finding good composition.

4. Find an interesting moment

Say you're at a beautiful location, the light is gorgeous and everything is ripe for a great photo. But nothing's happening. It's like looking through your Instagram or Facebook feed: there are hundreds of sunset photos with nothing but just sunsets. That's it.

Instead, find something to complement the scene if you can. Maybe it's just someone walking by. Wait until the shape of the walking person balances the photo and is at peak action, then snap away.

Sometimes, there are no moments. Nothing is happening. There's no one around, and it's just a pretty scene. It won't hurt to take the photo. Do that and keep it for yourself or share it with close people and tell a story along with it.

But if you really want to get the good stuff, find a good moment. Maybe it's people peacefully relaxing in the park - sleeping, eating, chatting, reading. Or maybe it's a quarrel on the street (just be safe). Keep your eyes open for movement and always try to find some way to balance the photo compositionally.

Without moments, you're probably just shooting still life most of the time. It's too easy, and we can all agree that there are more than enough food photos on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram these days.

5. Work the scene

What does it mean when a photographer tells you to work the scene? It means almost that - work it! Don't just stand there, compose and snap one photo and move along. Maybe a better shot will come along in a minute, or in five minutes.

Or perhaps you'd get a better photo of your subject by standing closer, or further away. Maybe the photo would look better from a lower angle, or a higher one. Or you can compose the same scene in a different way, or three different ways.

Taking a good photo means giving it some thought. Otherwise you're just taking snapshots, and unless you get really lucky, your chances of getting a good photo that way are slim.

Don't be afraid to take many photos. You can always delete them later, and you have plenty of memory on your smartphone. When you see something that really catches your eye, work that scene. And if there is a moment about to happen, shoot through it. That means keep shooting photos until the moment is over, then pick the best one.

In fact, smartphones like the HTC One, Samsung Galaxy S4 and iPhone 5S have excellent burst modes that can capture photos as fast as 10 frames per second. Use it!

6. Don't stop shooting

You can't expect to practice the piano once a week and play a Chopin Etude by the end of the year. At least, most of us wouldn't be able to do that. And you can't expect the same from photography.

If you only take photos once in a blue moon, it's going to take you a very long time before you can start taking photos that impress your friends.

Try shooting a little every day. If you're lacking inspiration some days, shoot anyway. Shoot what's in front of you, even if it could end up being another dreaded food photo. Why not try to make it look more interesting than the clichéd straight-down-from-the-top photo that has become the norm these days? Find a better angle, shoot it macro, just make it interesting.

And that's what you'll end up doing most of the time. Unless you're out on the hunt for perfect light, interesting settings and great moments, you're going to be forced to turn mundane, everyday objects and scenes into something interesting.

If you can make your friends and family say, "Wow, I've never seen it that way before," then you're doing something right. You're being creative, rather than just a passive observer documenting what he or she sees without second thought.

That's it! Now go out there and impress us all.

Best Free Android Apps of 2014 by Gary Cutlack and Lily Prasuethsut

Here's another great article that I found - There are 80 apps in Gary and Lily's article...I've included the top 20 for your reading pleasure: 

Top free apps for your Android phone or tablet

Related stories

• All signs point to imminent Android 4.4.3 KitKat launch as Google updates app
• Amazon gifting Android, Kindle app credit to its Appstore users this week
• Android Device Manager app finally found in Google Play Store

The open source nature of Google's OS means there are plenty of fantastic apps for Android to be found.

And most of the good stuff on Android is free, thanks to the work of developers who do it for love alone.

So here's our pick of the top free Android apps you should install.

• 10 best tablet PCs in the world today

You can find more great apps at Top 200 best Android apps.

Also why not check out our video of the top 10 free Android games?

1. Trailer Addict

iOS 6 users have Apple Trailers, and Android fans have Trailer Addict, a timely, high-resolution source for the latest move trailers. Trailer Addict hosts official versions of movie trailers, and unlike YouTube, you won't have to wade through idiotic user comments or wait to skip an ad before your video loads. There's just the occasional banner ad at the bottom of the screen. So while most summer blockbusters are garbage these days, you can enjoy the best part, the trailer, while on the go. TA makes a great addition to an HD screen and 4G LTE.

2. Juice Defender

With great power comes a great drain on battery life. If you've got a whopper of a handset that chews through its charge at an unreasonable rate, you can squeeze some extra percentage out of it with Juice Defender. JD is an awesome suite of active and background functionality. It includes a powerful task manager for dumping and disabling battery tasking apps, and it can be set to automatically toggle charge sucking features like 4G LTE and WiFi. If you've got an HTC One X + or One X, you need juice defender.

3. Swiftkey 4.0

One of the best parts about the Android OS are third-party keyboards, and while it's hard to pick the best set of digital keys, Swiftkey is certainly in the running. It actually builds a heat map of how you type, meaning if you tend graze the right side of the A key, Swiftkey will adapt to that. It'll also read your email and Facebook posts, if you let it, in order to learn your most common phrases. That means that typing "hey man what's up?" can be reduced to five keystrokes or so.

• Best Android Keyboards

4. Screebl

Screebl is a brilliant little utility for saving battery life and killing your phone's annoying habit of dimming the screen when you're trying to read. It uses your phone's gyroscope to guess when you're actively watching the screen, and when it can go dim to save some juice. It's a shockingly good guesser, making it the perfect background app for battery fiends and avid smartphone readers. It makes a great sidekick for Instapaper!

5. Speed Test

Whether you're looking for bragging rights with your tech buddies or you're just curious why the speed you experience varies so widely depending on where you are, Speed Test is a great way to find out what type of data speeds you're experiencing. Of course, data speeds also vary from carrier to carrier, so Speed Test is also a great way to shop for the carrier that has the best speeds in your area.

6. Dropbox

Available on nearly any platform currently available, from PCs and Macs, to cell phones and tablets, Dropbox provides an excellent method for backing up data to the cloud as well as accessing that data on the go. You can also set Dropbox up to automatically back up data from your phone. While Dropbox is free with 2GB of storage, users can increase their available storage by adding new devices and referring other users. Pro plans which offer significantly more storage are also available for a monthly fee.

7. Seesmic

There are many Twitter apps on Android - and Twitter itself shook up the scene with the launch of its own-brand app - but we're sticking withSeesmic. Offering support for multiple accounts, a home page widget showing latest tweets and an incredibly slick and professional design, it's one of the finest examples of app development out there today.

• Best Android phone - which should you buy?

8. Facebook for Android

Facebook for Android is lacking in features compared to Facebook itself, but a recent update added Inbox support to the Android app, finally allowing its users to communicate in almost real time. The app is fast and stable, with a simplicity that reminds you of the old days when using Facebook used to be bearable.

9. Hotmail/Outlook

Microsoft has teamed up with developer SEVEN to offer an official Hotmail app for Android, which gives users a simple, clean interface, push notification support and even lets you manage multiple Hotmail accounts from within the app. If your email needs haven't yet been assimilated by Google, it's a useful option. It's since been rebranded as the Outlook app, in keeping with Microsoft's changes to its mail site.

• 20 best Android widgets

10. Google Sky Map

A stunning app that renders Patrick Moore obsolete, by using your phone's orientation tools to give you an accurate representation of the stars and planets on your screen. Point your phone at the sky, then learn what constellations are visible and if that's a UFO or just Venus. Google Sky Map even works indoors, if you're not keen on getting cold.

11. SoundHound

If you're in a store shopping or happen to hear a song without the radio announcing the band, whip out the SoundHound app to figure it out for you. Or if you like, hum or sing the tune and the app should be able to recognize it.

12. Foursquare

The social media darling Foursquare is represented in fine form on Android, with the Google app offering easy one-click check-ins, integrated Google Maps for a seamless Google-branded experience and home page shortcut options to all your favorite places.

13. WordPress for Android

WordPress for Android started out as independent creation wpToGo, before WordPress decided it liked it so much it bought it up - hiring the maker to develop it in-house. It's very feature-packed, with the latest version offering full integration with other apps, letting you spin content and send it directly to the app for easy updating. It could do with more image insertion tools, though.

14. Google Goggles

A bit of a novelty, in that Google Goggles lets you take photos and have Google analyze them and come back with a search results page for what it thinks you're looking at. However, the app's main use is as a QR code reader, which lets you scan barcodes for quick access to apps and whatever data people choose to embed in the odd little data squares.

• 15 best Android tablets in the world

15. Winamp

Yes, the same Winamp from a decade ago. It's had an Android app for some time, with recent updates adding support for iTunes, Mac syncing, plenty of music streaming options, new release lists and Shoutcast integration for radio support. It's a fine, free media player.

16. Samsung ChatOn

There are plenty of messaging tools on Android, but Samsung's beats many of them by offering multi-platform support - with clients even available for older Samsung non-smart feature phones. It could be the ideal way to keep in touch with an out of touch relative. More "with it" users will be able to use its drawing, image sharing and social networking features.

17. Skyfire 3.0

The USP of the Skyfire browser is that it supports Flash content, popping up a little window when it detects an embedded YouTube video or something similar. The actual Flash business is handled by Skyfire's server, which does all the computery stuff, then sends the file to your handset. A bit clunky on slower Android phones, but it works like a dream on models with faster processors.Despite the arrival of Flash with Android 2.2, this is still relevant for those on phones and Android versions not able to support Adobe's Flash Player.

18. Swype

The odd line-drawing alternate keyboard Swype is a love-it or hate-it kind of thing, with the significant amount of re-learning required to make the most of it quite offputting to some users. But, once you're familiar with the idea, it's genius - with advanced prediction options further speeding your line-typing. Swype is not available through the Android Market - the only way to install is is via a direct download from the maker.

19. Evernote

After the Android version of Dropbox, the next best solution for keeping all your "business" in one place is Evernote - it lets you stash and sync all your text notes, voice memos and files on your phone and access them through a desktop computer.

20. Flickr

As well as supporting Flickr uploading, this app also lets you capture photos from within the app and comes complete with a set of filters, so you can hipsterize your life with ease. It supports sharing with Twitter and Facebook as well, so your other, non-photo-nerd friends can enjoy the results of today's snapping session.

Parents' Guide to Kids and Cell Phones - Caroline Knorr

When searching the internet for interesting articles, I found this one:  Parents' Guide to Kids and Cell Phones by Caroline Knorr - Enjoy!

These tips can help you:

     - Decide whether your kid is ready for a cell phone

     - Teach basic cell-phone safety

     - Explain responsible cell phone rules

     - Set limits

---

What's the right age to get my kid a cell phone?

Age isn't as important as responsibility and maturity. If your kid can demonstrate both -- by checking in with you at appointed times, following your rules, adhering to school guidelines, and handling the phone sensibly -- then he or she may be ready. Here are a few questions to help you decide:

Do your children need to be in touch for safety reasons? 

     - Would having easy access to friends benefit them for social reasons?

     - Do your children need to be in touch for safety reasons?

     - Can they adhere to limits you set for minutes talked and apps downloaded?

     - Will they use the text, photo, and video functions responsibility and not to embarrass or harass others?

Can I "just say no" to cell phones?

It's not a tragedy to be the only kid at school without a phone. But there are very few public phones anymore. If there's an emergency and you need to reach your kid, you'll be kicking yourself for not having gotten him one. Maybe you just don't want to buy into a tech-obsessed, always-connected culture. You can still pass along your values by modeling the tech habits you want your kids to pick up -- without missing that emergency call.

What are the basic safety rules for cell phones?

Basic safety skills are essential for kids' safety and privacy. Here are the areas kids will need to be responsible for, plus some best practices.

    -Texting

          - Be respectful -- both to the people you're texting with and those around you.

          - Be careful. Assume that even "private" texts can become public.

     - Calling

          - Verify the caller or texter. Don't respond to numbers you don't know.

          - Answer the phone when it's Mom or Dad. Make sure your kid knows to answer when it's YOU calling!

     - Cameras

          - Ask permission. Before you snap someone's picture, take a video, or forward something, ask if it's OK

          - Don't publicly embarrass people. Don't post someone's photo -- especially unflattering ones -- from your cell phone without permission.

     - Apps and downloads

          - Manage costs. Make sure your kids understand that they're spending real money when they download apps, games, and music.

          - Use filters. Check your phone for parental controls that let you filter out age-inappropriate content, restrict downloads, and prevent in-app purchases.

     - Posting

          - Be selective -- not impulsive. Make sure kids know to be very selective about what they post from their cell phone.

          - Be safe. Explain why they shouldn't use location services.

What should I do if someone "sexts" my kid?

This can happen -- even accidentally! Tell your kid to delete the photo and block the number. And if someone asks your kids to send them a "sext," make sure your kids say no and tells you if they're being pressured.

My kid's friend texted an embarrassing photo of her to friends. What should I do?

She learned the hard way that kids can use cell phones to humiliate others by forwarding texts, photos, and other things that were thought to be private. First, explain that this is a form of cyberbullying. Next, talk to the other kid's parents -- and show them the evidence. Don't accuse -- but do make sure that you're all on the same page about what's appropriate behavior. Make sure your kids don't retaliate, but do make sure they're standing up for themselves and have supportive friends who will also stand up to bullies. Also consider discussing the matter with your kid's school -- the bully may actually be acting out due to other problems.

Is there anything I can do about the spam my kid's phone gets?

Cell phone spam (unsolicited bulk messages) is a growing problem -- and if kids click on these ads, they may be unwittingly giving away information or opting into a service. Call your cell phone company to report the problem; they may ask you to forward the spam to a specific number. Then, block the caller, either by using your phone's settings or going through your carrier.

Should I buy parental controls from my wireless carrier?

There are pros and cons to purchasing these services, which let you do everything from filtering inappropriate content to blocking phone purchases to locating your kid on a map. The main "con" is cost. Some of these features can be expensive, and you may be able to find cheaper alternatives through the phone's built-in settings or through third-party apps. But on the "pro" side is need. While we like to think our kids will be completely responsible, some kids will resist your rules. If your kid is risking safety, privacy, and money, it might be worth looking into these services.

Are smartphones OK for kids?

Kids love smartphones. And why not? They can play games, access the Internet, video chat -- and do lots of other advanced activities. If you're going to spring for a smartphone, get one that allows you to turn off features you don't want your kids using (like the ability to purchase apps) and keep the ones that you're OK with (like texting).

How do I keep tabs on my kids' cell phone use without seeming intrusive?

Some parents say, "If I'm paying for it, I'm entitled to read my kids' texts, check their call log, and know who their buddies are." That's valid, but kids consider these devices to be as personal as diaries, so tread cautiously. Spot checks are a good idea. You know your kid best. If you sense something isn't right, spot check more often. Explain that your rules are for their safety and protection and that you need to be able to make sure they're using their devices appropriately.

My kid seems addicted to her phone. What do I do?

Experts have compared cell-phone dependency to gambling. Every text, email, and update is like a "hit" you begin to crave. Hopefully, you're just dealing with a compulsive habit that you can manage by structuring your kids' time. Schedule time for the phone to be on and off, schedule activities where the cell phone can't be used, and look into programs that block the phone from being used. If you suspect the problem is true addiction, talk to your pediatrician.