How-Tos

Please bear with me while I explain the process for accessing a message draft that you just started, but had to save in order to check something else in the Mail app on your iPhone, iPod Touch, or iPad. Take a deep breath.

First, assuming you have more than one e-mail account (I have four on my iPhone) and you are starting in the "All Inboxes" window, you'll have to tap "Mailboxes" in the upper-left corner. Then, scroll down to the Accounts section and select the proper account for your draft. Now, tap the "… Read more

This is one of those solutions you didn't know you needed...until now.

Although texting may be the preferred method of communication today, it has its flaws. Autocorrect fails and difficulty expressing sentiment (without too many emoticons) are all too common with SMS.

And phone calls? Call me a generation Y-er, but sometime I just want to get my message across without a lengthy conversation, complete with "hellos" and "goodbyes."

That's why HeyTell, as suggested by a good friend, is my new obsession. The free app, which works cross-platform for Android, iPhone, and Windows … Read more

New iPads are coming! New iPads are coming! Well, that's the rumor, anyway, and it might be only "new iPad," singular.

But let's be honest: whatever it is, you're probably going to want it. I mean, who wouldn't want a tablet with a Retina Display, 4G wireless, a high-resolution camera, and a hot-fudge dispenser? (A man can dream, can't he?)

Alas, iPad prices being what they are (and what they'll likely remain), you may need a second mortgage to finance it.

To help defray the cost, consider selling your iPad 2 (or … Read more

Apple has let the cat out of the bag; OS X Mountain Lion is available as a developer preview starting today, and planned for release this summer.

But, to give the Mac and iOS faithful a taste of what's to come, a beta preview of the new Messages app has also been made available starting today. What's so special about the Messages beta? It includes iMessage for OS X, meaning you can send and receive iMessages from your Mac, iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch--seamlessly.

Before I start diving into Messages, we have to point out that it is … Read more

With an Android app called Scanner Radio, you can turn your Android phone into a portable police scanner. Volunteers with scanners provide over 3,100 audio streams from police and fire departments, weather radios, and amateur radio operators.

You can let Scanner Radio search for scanners near your current location, or manually search for scanners based on area, genre, or source.

Once you find your favorite audio feeds, you can add them as favorites for quick access. You can also listen to archives of certain feeds, but that feature requires the Pro version ($2.99).

That's it. Just a … Read more

Touchnote is fast, easy to use, and offers an awesome way to make use of those shots that might have otherwise sat untouched in your photo gallery.

Here's how it works:

1. Download and install the app Touchnote (download) is available for free in the Android Market or iTunes App Store. You can play around with it all you want, but when it comes time to actually send a postcard, you'll have to go ahead and create an account.

2. Pick a photo The app gives you the choice of pulling a photo from your gallery, taking a … Read more

Microsoft's PowerPoint presentation software is to some degree an industry standard, and its presence on both Windows and OS X allows for a decent level of cross-platform compatibility that new Mac users might gravitate toward; however, there are other options besides Office that might perform as well as if not better than PowerPoint, which you might wish to consider.

As I mentioned in a previous post on Apple's alternative to Excel called Numbers, there are a few Office programs out there that have good offerings and which can import and export PowerPoint file formats. These include the free … Read more

According to PaperKarma, the average U.S. household receives 850 pieces of junk mail each year. That's a ton of wasted paper.

PaperKarma, a multiplatform mobile app, allows you to snap a picture of the junk mail sitting on your counter, upload it, and never worry about receiving anything from that company again. It couldn't be easier.

You will need to create an account with PaperKarma, handing over some personal information such as a phone number and the address you're receiving junk mail at. After the initial setup, the process to submit a request is all of … Read more

Nobody likes to be that person who forgets a friend's birthday.

Facebook is great for avoiding awkward moments like these, but sometimes having a notice on Facebook about a birthday isn't enough. After all, getting a daily reminder of your brother's birthday a week in advance might make you forget about it by the time his big day arrives; or you may not even log on to Facebook to see the reminder. Luckily for Android users, there's an app that can post a birthday message for your Facebook friends automatically. So if you forget, or just … Read more