iPhone Tricks You Might Not Have Known

Whether you're an iPhone rookie or a weathered pro, take a look at these quick-and-easy iPhone tips and tricks which not only save you time, but ease your overall iPhone experience.

(These items are listed in no particular order.)

1. Scroll to Top of Page -

In any application, Safari included, you can automatically scroll to the top of the page by tapping on the "top bar", which has the time, service bars, and battery. In Safari, this not only brings you to the top of the page, but also brings up the URL bar.

Continue reading for the next 11 useful iPhone tips and tricks.

2. Domain Resolution -

When typing a URL in Safari, you don't have to type the "www" or the ".com".For instance, for www.cnn.com just type "cnn" in the URL box. Note: Your search engine must be set to Google, not Yahoo.

3. Domain Suffix - [On firmware 2.0 only]

Hold down the ".com" key for ".net, .edu, .org" keys. Note: Slide your finger from .com to .net/.edu/.org, rather than lifting and pressing.

4. Press & Hold For Alternate Characters -

Hold a letter for a popup of various versions of the character (i.e. to type España with the "ñ" simply hold "n" and simply slide/release to the appropriate character).

5. Click & Hold URL's -

In Safari, hold a link to see the URL and site name.

6. Soft Reset -

Press and hold the Home button and the Sleep button to restart your iPhone. A white light will flash, the screen will shut off and then turn back on. Keep holding until the screen turns back on.

7. Take a Screenshot -

To take a screenshot, hold the home button and click the sleep button. The screen will flash white and the screenshot will be stored in your camera roll.

8. Set Parental Controls -

You can enable certain restrictions or parental controls on your iPhone. You can block explicit lyrics, Safari, YouTube, iTunes, or the App Store. Just go to Settings, General, Restrictions.

9. Save Any Image from Safari -

To save any image from the web to your camera roll, simply press and hold the image. A menu will appear asking "Save Image" or "Cancel". Once the image is in your camera roll, you can set it as your wallpaper.

-ismashphone.com

Hottest Female Video Game Protagonists

We’ve all grown up playing our share of video games, and it’s not uncommon to experience a slight video game crush or two — or maybe a dozen or so. Game designers have the luxury and privilege of creating gorgeous women from the ground up, pixel-perfect. We pay homage to these women, artificial as they may be, not just for being so beautiful, but because they have been with us throughout our lives. These are the 25 hottest female video game protagonists; be polite — don’t stare.

Peach (Super Mario Series)

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Making her first appearance in 1985, Princess Peach has become as iconic as Nintendo itself. Though she’s always maintained her sweet demeanor, a lot has changed over the last couple of decades concerning her majesty’s looks; she began life as an 8-bit blob in vague female form — now she’s just plain hot. She’s made her way through all the new technologies, and many different outfits, but it’s in the Super Mario Strikers games that we finally get to see Peach show some skin.

Kitana (Mortal Kombat Series)

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In the first Mortal Kombat, the only female character available was the rather butch Sonya Blade. Entering theMortal Kombat saga in its second installment, Kitana was a much-appreciated breath of fresh air for the countless droves of horny teenage boys gathering ’round the local arcades. She may have been cloned and copied in the game, but none of her doppelgangers held the same sway.

Kasumi (Dead or Alive)

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First making a splash in 1996’s Dead or Alive, Kasumi has always been overly-cute. While her outfits may change like the weather, her overall cute demeanor hasn’t, and she’s even spent a bit of time as a mermaid in her ending sequence for Dead or Alive 4. While that was a bit revealing, nothing could really compete with the fun to be had when she and her companions showed up, bikini-clad, in Dead or Alive Xtreme Beach Volleyball.

Firiona Vie (Everquest)

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The majestically beautiful Firiona Vie is the long sought-after covergirl to Everquest and its 16 expansions. She made her first appearance on the shelves of game shops across the country in 1999, when the MMO craze was just beginning to heat up. To this day, some of the hottest cosplay girls at conventions opt for Firiona’s look — it’s a classic.

Faith Connor (Mirror’s Edge)

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2008 saw an interesting shift in gameplay when Mirror’s Edge made its debut — huds were lost and mirrors suddenly became hyperrealistic. Advances in game-graphics aside, this meant we could enjoy a truly good look at our own character as often as we wanted, and she was hot. Faith Connors made being a runner in a dystopian future look like a good thing — because she looked so good doing it.

Chun Li (Street Fighter II)

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Chun Li is possibly the most absolutely loved and best remembered of all characters from the fighting game that birthed all other fighting games, Street Fighter II. She brought a desperately needed feminine presence to a testosterone-drenched atmosphere, and to this day there are gorgeous cosplay girls hitting up convention circuits in her stylings. She was even played by a not so bad looking Ming Na in the 1994 travesty of film by the game’s name, and again just recently by Kristin Kreuk — a much more fitting match.

-manolith.com

Microsoft Offers Early Customer Trials Of Office Web Apps

Microsoft launched its technical preview program for its Microsoft Office Web Apps, the first step on the long road to general availability of the browser-based versions of Word, Excel and PowerPoint.

Starting today a limited number of invitation-only consumers will have access to the lightweight applications that are designed to compete with Google Apps and online cloud computing software from other vendors. The invite-only participants will have access to the applications through Microsoft's Windows Live SkyDrive service.

Microsoft formally debuted Office Web Apps in July at the vendor's Worldwide Partner Conference in New Orleans. At the time Microsoft said the software would enter the technical preview stage in September, a broader public beta phase later this year, and general availability sometime in the first half of 2010.

"The early technical preview program is designed to collect additional customer feedback prior to the broad release of the service. After this technical preview milestone, which is focused on consumers, we'll continue to update the Office Web Apps, leading up to the broadly available beta and the official launch next year, and frequently update the service based on new user feedback after that," said Michael Schultz, Director, Marketing, Microsoft Office Services, in a Q&A posted Thursday on Microsoft's Web site.
Microsoft said consumers could sign up for the beta version of Office Web Apps at microsoft.com/Office 2010.

Not included in the technical preview is OneNote Web App, which will be available at a later date, according to Microsoft. Later versions of the software will be more tightly integrated with Microsoft Office 2010 desktop software, the company also said.

Once generally available next year, Office Web Apps will be offered three ways: to Windows Live subscribers through Windows Live SkyDrive, to Office 2010 volume licensing business customers hosted with SharePoint Server and through Microsoft Online Services.

Microsoft intends to make Office Web Apps available for PCs and Macs and will support Internet Explorer, Firefox and Safari browsers.

Top 10 iPhone Racing Games

One of the most hotly contested proving grounds for any console is the racing genre and theiPhone is no different. There's a huge variety of different types of racing game to choose from on the App Store, and we have decided to compile ten of the absolute best. So when it comes to having something to show off how fantastic your shiny new iPhone 3GS is to your friends, you'll be in pole position. And so, in no particular order...

2XL Supercross - $7.99
This is still, not just one of the finest looking racers on the iPhone, but one of the finest looking games. It’s been updated several times since its release and now comes with a total of 15 tracks and 8 different control layouts, meaning there should be no complaints on those fronts. There’s also a dedicated 2XL server where you can compare your race times with other dirt rippers. If this game gets your engine revving, then you should also check out the similarly great 2XL ATV Offroad from the same developer.

Real Racing - $9.99
This one has grabbed more column inches than most racing games, thanks in part to the profile raising Flight Control which elevated people’s expectations of Firemint’s abilities, but also due to the fact that it features some of the finest track racing to appear on the iPhone. The collision physics are top notch and visually, it’s capable of silencing even the most hardened of iPhone gaming cynics. Now if only Firemint would hurry up and release that turbo charged 3GS edition it showed off earlier in the year.

Boost 3D - $1.99 (currently $0.99)
This is an odd one. There are no other racers and the tracks are entirely dynamic. That said, to call it anything other than a racer would seem wrong, so let’s agree that this is just a very original one. The aim is to steer past the coloured blocks while you hurtle forward automatically. The sense of speed is nigh on unparalleled and the stark visuals are an absolute triumph. It might not hold your attention for long, but in terms of games that push the genre forward, Boost is more exciting than many of its peers.

Need for Speed Undercover - $4.99
EA now lavishes the same attention on its iPhone releases as it does on other handheld consoles and Need for Speed Undercover is a bold statement of EA’s ambitions for the platform. Its vital statistics blow most of the competition away. Besides featuring 20 of the world’s most desirable real cars, there are 8 modes, three huge environments and 24 missions. And that’s all before you’ve got to grips with the customization options and upgrades. A genuine console-quality title on your iPhone and not to be missed.

Aqua Moto Racing - $3.99 (sale $0.99)
Charting territory that’s largely unchallenged in the iPhone space, sea-faring Aqua Moto Racing is as refreshing as it is technically accomplished. The bobbing waves and water effects are impressive, while the racing action itself is intense, addictive and challenging. It may be a bit short on extra modes, but the inclusion of stunts for gaining additional boost as well as a cool Ghost mode where you can go head to head with the best racers in the world, keep this title head and shoulders above water.

Asphalt 5 - $4.99
Gameloft has been pushing the Asphalt series since the days of Java on mobile phones and with the fifth official sequel developed as an iPhone exclusive, the series has quite possibly reached its zenith point. Featuring a whopping 30 real life cars (including the mythical Bugatti Veyron 16.4) this one is all about unashamed car porn. It’s fast too though and speed freaks can enjoy boasting rights on the included online leaderboard. Vroom Vroom indeed. You may want to try FREE version.

Ground Effect - $3.99( sale $0.99)
Opting out of the battle for tyre screeching supremacy, Ground Effect features futuristic hover cars speeding through enormous, verdant open-world environments with show stopping falls, jumps and unapologetic spectacle. It’s also one of the only games on the App Store to feature full stereoscopic 3D visuals, so if you have some 3D glasses you can add an extra dimension to the already impressive visuals.

Slotz Racer - $4.99
Slotz Racer is not a game for speed freaks, but it’s a great off-kilter alternative to the standard racing set-up. Playing out as a table top effort, it’s all about controlling acceleration to stay on the track. But that’s only half the fun, Slotz Racer’s real draw is that you can create and share your own tracks with a very easy to use track editor. Not one to show off how great your iPhone is at pushing polygons, but it definitely shows off just how varied and creative a place the App Store is.

Jet Car Stunts - $1.99
Again, Jet Car Stunts is not your typical racer. The tracks feature some of the most stomach churningly vertiginous designs you could possibly imagine and playing it feels akin to steering a derailed roller-coaster. It’s much more fun than it sounds and though there is a certain amount of trial and error involved, the precision and inventiveness with which this classic has been crafted will keep you coming back time and time again.

Rally Master Pro 3D - $4.99
Back on familiar, dirty ground, Rally Master Pro 3D is about skidding about in the mud in overpowered, lightweight vehicles with a footloose and fancy free abandon for safety. Sporting a damage model, an as yet rare feature in iPhone racers, as well as a weather system and a staggering 27 tracks, Race Master Pro 3D carries the sort of features that must make its peers gurn with envy. It’s a looker too and makes for a superbly executed dirt kicking alternative to the garage of tarmac chewers on the App Store.

Conclusion

And so there you have it, ten speedy roadsters to clock up some serious mileage with over the holidays. We think we’ve covered a broad spectrum of different types of racing games, all of an exceptionally high quality. But maybe there are some games that are missing that you feel should have been included. Don’t be shy, we love to know what our readers think so if you have any other recommendations for top notch racing action on the iPhone, do please comment and let us know. We’re off for a pit stop now - enjoy!

-ismashphone.com