Apple has just released iOS 5. If you have an iPhone 3GS, 4 (or 4S), iPod touch 3rd or 4th generation, or an iPad, simply plug it into your computer, make sure iTunes is updated to version 10.5 (iTunes > Check for Updates), then just select your device on the left hand side and click “Check for Update.”
By this stage, if you regularly frequent technology websites like ExtremeTech, you will already be intimately familiar with the key features that adorn iOS 5: Siri voice-controlled assistant, Notification Center, iMessage, Reminders, deep Twitter integration, access to the camera from the lock screen, and perhaps most importantly PC-free activation; you no longer have to plug an iOS 5 device into iTunes to set it up, and you can also sync via WiFi, too. You will also know all of the ways in which Android 4.0 beats iOS 5, and vice-versa.
All told, though, iOS 5 includes more than 200 new features, many of which you would never notice unless you knew where to look. Fortunately, we moles here in the ExtremeTech bunker have been playing around with beta builds of iOS 5 for months, and we’re more than happy to point out the few hidden gems that we’ve discovered.
When composing an email, you can select a word or phrase and apply bold, italic, or underline formatting from the pop-up menu.
There’s also an interesting option that forces links to open in the background, which is handy if you’re reading through an article and want to check out the pages it links to later, once you’re finished.
Finally, Mobile Safari is now by far the most HTML5-compatible smartphone browser — though we’d be surprised if the Ice Cream Sandwich stock browser doesn’t at least match it.
Actually, they’re no where near as bad as the five-finger-pinch-and-flick that OS X Lion uses: with iOS 5 and iPad, a four- or five-finger flick up reveals the multitasking bar. Pinch returns you to the home screen. Swiping left and right switches between apps (at last!)
In General > Accessibility you can now make the camera’s (rather bright) LED flash when you receive a message, call, or alert — and there’s also a neat feature called Assistive Touch, which lets you create a custom gesture on the screen, and then bond that gesture to an action, such as turning off the screen.
By this stage, if you regularly frequent technology websites like ExtremeTech, you will already be intimately familiar with the key features that adorn iOS 5: Siri voice-controlled assistant, Notification Center, iMessage, Reminders, deep Twitter integration, access to the camera from the lock screen, and perhaps most importantly PC-free activation; you no longer have to plug an iOS 5 device into iTunes to set it up, and you can also sync via WiFi, too. You will also know all of the ways in which Android 4.0 beats iOS 5, and vice-versa.
All told, though, iOS 5 includes more than 200 new features, many of which you would never notice unless you knew where to look. Fortunately, we moles here in the ExtremeTech bunker have been playing around with beta builds of iOS 5 for months, and we’re more than happy to point out the few hidden gems that we’ve discovered.
Text macros and improved formatting
In Settings > General > Keyboard you can now specify Shortcuts. Shortcuts are simply text macros: you enter a short phrase (btw, omg, etc.) and the iOS 5 input editor (SMSes, emails) will automatically expand those short phrases into full sentences. Whether this will prevent kids from typing in txtspk is another question entirely.When composing an email, you can select a word or phrase and apply bold, italic, or underline formatting from the pop-up menu.
Safari is faster, tabbed, and more secure
Except for the Notifications Center, the most noticeable change in iOS 5 is a significantly-improved Mobile Safari. You’ve probably heard about Reader and Reading List — own-brand versions of Instapaper — but Safari is faster (rendering- and JavaScript-wise), has a new Private Browsing toggle that works as you’d expect, and on the iPad you can now use tabs!There’s also an interesting option that forces links to open in the background, which is handy if you’re reading through an article and want to check out the pages it links to later, once you’re finished.
Finally, Mobile Safari is now by far the most HTML5-compatible smartphone browser — though we’d be surprised if the Ice Cream Sandwich stock browser doesn’t at least match it.
More finger-crippling gestures on the iPad
Actually, they’re no where near as bad as the five-finger-pinch-and-flick that OS X Lion uses: with iOS 5 and iPad, a four- or five-finger flick up reveals the multitasking bar. Pinch returns you to the home screen. Swiping left and right switches between apps (at last!)Improved security
No doubt as a reaction to the odd and iffy security record that smartphones have had over the last year, iOS 5 includes more granular control over which apps can access Location Services (Settings > Location Services), and the General > Restrictions area now lets you set a password for in-app purchases.Custom alerts and improved accessibility
Also joining the “at long last!” club is custom alerts: you can now pick a different ring, bleep, or tune for new mail, sent mail, tweets, calendar alerts, and more.In General > Accessibility you can now make the camera’s (rather bright) LED flash when you receive a message, call, or alert — and there’s also a neat feature called Assistive Touch, which lets you create a custom gesture on the screen, and then bond that gesture to an action, such as turning off the screen.
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Tel: (09) 551-5344, Mob: (021) 117-2222
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> Repair while you wait
> Free insurance calims report
> Free inspection on faulty phones|
> Free 30 minute off-street parking
> 45 mins to fix iPhone 4 scree
> 30 mins to unlock 3G and 3GS
> 25 mins to replace 3G/3GS screen
> 10 mins to unlock iPhone 4
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