AppTalk

Before AppTalk, when I and a bunch of other co-workers first got iPhones, I set up an online support group so we could share tips and apps.


Here are a few with staying power:

• When you simultaneously press the iPhone’s home button at the bottom of the screen and the power button on the top, it takes a screenshot of whatever is on the screen at the time and saves that into your iPhone photo gallery. Then you can share that photo like any other from the iPhone.

• The iPhone Help file is pre-bookmarked as a favorite in Safari (as is the Apple App website).

• One of the things that I've found the most irritating about this phone is this: When you connect to your computer, your default photo program (in my case, Picasa) opens, or you get the window asking what application you want to use for the photos on your "camera." Especially when I plug in at work, I have no interest in importing ANY photos.
  I finally decided to find out how to stop that process. If you share my frustration, here's the solution:
  1. Connect your phone to your computer.
  2. Go to My Computer, and right-click on the iphone icon.
  3. Choose Properties.
  4. Choose the Events tab
  5. Click "Take no Action."
  6. Click OK.
  So much better!

• Wow. Point your mobile web browser to books.google.com/m and you can read full books on your portable device. According to The Globe and Mail, Google is making 1,500,000 books, most from the public domain, freely available to you. I tested Google’s mobile books on the iPhone,
  and it looks really good.

• Thinking about a Kindle? Think again--your iPhone may be all the reader you need. Check out this site for a good introduction: http://www.pbs.org/mediashift/2009/02/your-guide-to-e-books043.html.

• What apps do you like for toddlers and children? The ones listed below have received the seal of approval from my two-year-old niece Ava. Do you know of any others?
  
  
  • Toddler Flash Cards: 7 categories (foods, animals, things, alphabet, numbers, shapes, and colors). English, French, and Spanish
  • Voice Toddler Cards: Lets you record whats on the flash card in your own voice! If you prefer the card's voice, you can opt for English or Spanish
  • Scribble Lite: Draw whatever you want (even on photos), using different colors, pens sizes--then just shake to erase and start again.
  • ABC Animals (with sound and printing practice).
  • Of course, she also likes "grown-up" games like Paper Toss and Flick Bowling!
  • MiniPiano!! Awesome, and totally