photoshop tips and tricks software

Two weeks ago we published the first part of Photoshop tips and tricks for photo retouching. Today, we’ll be presenting the rest of the article. We hope that these techniques will be quite useful for your workflow. You may know some of them, but hopefully not all of them. We have had articles on various tools in Adobe Photoshop but this one is focused more on the techniques rather than the tools provided. Please note that all images used in this article were purchased and are used according to their licenses.

Here is a short overview of the techniques we’ll be covering in this follow-up:

• Defining Colors
• Controlling Folders
• Split-Toning Effect
• Flexible Vignette
• Skin Retouching In Camera Raw
• Setting Lights
• Distinguished Paleness
• Dodge And Burn Look
• Bright Eyes
• The Orton Effect
• Optimizing Lasso Selections
• Aligning Layer Contents
• Restoring Selections
• More Photoshop Tips and Tricks

Defining Colors

If you want to redefine the foreground and background colors, use the Eyedropper tool to select the foreground color, and then switch the position with the background color, maybe by using the shortcut X, and pick up the next color. But there is an easier way. First, define the foreground color just as you’re accustomed to, but then define the background color by holding the Alt/Option key. Instead of changing the foreground color, you’ll redefine the background color with just one click.

Define foreground and background colors.

Controlling Folders

Folders give structure to layers, which is especially important if you’re working on demanding compositions. Folders are often collapsed, so you can’t see the contents at first sight. This conserves space but it’s not always desirable. If you want nested layers to reveal their contents and offer a quick overview, hold the Control/Command key and click on one of the triangles to expand. All folders at the first level will expand. You can collapse them again using the same trick. To expand all nested folders inside the folders as well, hold the Alt/Option key as well as the Control/Command key.

Hold the Control/Command key to expand the folder.

Split-Toning Effect

Create two new gradient maps via Layer → New Adjustment Layer → Gradient Map. You could, for example, create a gradient from dark-blue to beige and another from dark-brown to white. To change a gradient, click on it to open up the “Gradient Editor” dialog box. There, click on your chosen color patches and open up the color picker via the “Color field.”

Blending Options: This Layer

Confirm with “OK,” double-click the layer with the second gradient map and, under “This Layer,” move the right slider to the left. To make the transition a little smoother, click on the slider while holding down theAlt/Option key and move it to the right. Confirm with “OK.”

Split-Toning Effect

Flexible Vignette

To create a non-destructive vignette, go to New Adjustment Layer → Levels. Darken the image completely by, for example, setting the Highlights down to 80. Now use the Brush tool with black color to paint the light center into the layer mask. Instead of using a brush to paint the area, you could use the Elliptical Marquee tool and fill the selection with black.

Adjustment Layer: Levels

You can use the Move tool to adjust the vignette’s position any time, or blur it using the “Gaussian Blur.” You can also increase or decrease the darkening. To do so, open the Levels Adjustment dialog box again.

Skin Retouching In Camera Raw

Again, open a photo in Camera Raw (for example, by using the right mouse key from Bridge and clicking “Open in Camera Raw”). In general, you can use the Spot Healing Brush tool and all other tools and sliders to improve the image. When you’re happy with it, hold the Shift key and click on “Open Object.” The image will be put on a new layer as a Smart Object.

You could also click the blue link at the bottom of the screen, which opens the “Workflow Options” dialog window. From there, you can control some other settings as well. Make sure to check the “Open in Photoshop as Smart Object” checkbox, and then confirm with “OK” to open the images (without having to holding Shift).

Here, layers are smart objects.

Right-click on the layer and choose “New Smart Object via Copy,” and then open the Camera Raw dialog box again by double-clicking the layer icon. Set the “Clarity” value to -100 and confirm with “OK.” Hold theAlt/Option key and click on the “Create Layer Mask” button, then use a soft brush to paint over the optimized skin. Use the opacity slider to control the amount of retouching.

Here is optimized skin with the help of Camera Raw.

Setting Lights

If you want to do some virtual re-positioning of your strobes, then neutralize the shot first. Go to Select → Color Range, and set Select option to “Highlights.” Copy the selection content to a new layer by hittingControl/Command + J. Activate the background layer again, and select the “Shadows” this time. Bring those to their own layer, too, with Control/Command + J, and then set the blending mode to “Screen” and the highlights to “Multiply.”

Highlights and shadows

Reduce the opacity to about 30%, depending on the image content. “Shadows/Highlights” might also help. On a new layer, filled with a neutral gray and its blending mode set to “Overlay,” paint in the desired light quality with the Dodge and Burn tools. Alternatively, add a new layer and set its blending mode to “Soft Light” or “Overlay” and, with a low opacity brush, paint black and white on this layer.

The lights were neutralized a bit.

Distinguished Paleness

For a distinguished paleness, copy the background layer and set its blending mode to “Screen.” Use Image → Adjustments → Desaturate or “Black & White,” then “Shadows/Highlights” to increase the effect. The exact adjustment options can vary according to your image content.

Here’s the layer after creating the mask.

The effect will cover the entire image unless you click on the “Create Layer Mask” button while holding theAlt/Option key, and then paint the pale areas with the brush tool and white color. You can control the effect’s strength with the opacity slider.

Distinguished paleness.

Dodge And Burn Look

Copy the reduced layers to a new layer with Shift + Control/Command + Alt/Option + E, and then set the blending mode to “Vivid Light.” Use Control/Command + I to invert the layer content, and apply Filter → Blur → Surface Blur with a radius of about 70 pixels and a threshold of 40 levels. Press Shift +Control/Command + Alt/Option + E again, delete the layer below, and set the blending mode to “Overlay.” Apply a “Gaussian Blur” to make the contours a little softer, and then click Image → Adjustments → Desaturate.

Dodge and Burn Look

Bright Eyes

To make eyes appear brilliant, click on New Adjustment Layer → Exposure. Fill the layer mask with black (or invert the mask), and paint with white over the irises and with black over the pupils. Set the blending mode of the adjustment layer to “Luminosity.” Increase the exposure in concert with the gamma value to give the iris structure more contrast. Also, try changing the “Offset slider.”

Create beautiful eyes with exposure.

The Orton Effect

With the Orton effect, sharp and blurred versions of a photo are mixed together. Copy the background layer with Control/Command + J, and click on Image → Apply Image. Change the blending mode to “Screen” and click “OK.” Copy the current layer again with Control/Command + J. Apply a Gaussian Blur to this copy by clicking Filter → Blur → Gaussian Blur. The value will depend on the size of the image. The shapes should always blur slightly. Set the blending mode for the layer to “Multiply.”

The Orton effect creates contrast and depth.

Optimizing Lasso Selections

Many users (even professionals) prefer the Lasso Selection tool to the Path tool for uncomplicated selections. To switch to the Polygon Lasso tool for a short stretch, hold the Alt/Option key while working. To switch back to the regular Lasso tool, just release the Alt/Option key while depressing the mouse button.

Switching between the Lasso and Polygon Lasso tools is easy.

It often happens that, during a zoom, you hit the edge of the work area while making a selection. Just keep the space bar pressed to switch to the Hand tool, and you can quickly change the displayed image section.

Aligning Layer Contents

Some areas in Photoshop are hardly ever noticed. This is one of them. If you activate the Move tool, you’ll see some mysterious symbols to the right called Align tools, in the option bar next to Auto-Select and the Transform controls (which are basically equivalent to Free Transform).

Align tools

If you activate just one layer, the Align tools won’t do anything, but if you select two or more layers by holding the Control/Command key, then you can align the layer’s contents with these buttons. Choose from options such as “Align Top Edge” and “Align Vertical Center.”

Restoring Selections

Often, while in the middle of working on a tricky selection, you’ll accidentally deselect it by clicking once too often. You can restore the lost selection by pressing Shift + Control/Command + D. This will get the ants marching again. You can also undo (Control/Command + Z) the action, and even perform multiple undos with Control/Command + Alt/Option + Z.

By the way, you can hold the Alt/Option key to subtract elements from the selection at any time, or hold the Shift key to add to the selection. Pressing a combination of both keys creates a selection intersection. Important selections that you might need later can be saved by going to Select → Save Selection.

Restore lost selections.

More Tips and Tricks to Improve Your Workflow:

• Mastering Photoshop: Unknown Tricks and Time-Savers by Thomas Giannattasio
• Compositing in Adobe Photoshop: Time-Saving Tips by Daniel Durrans
• Mastering Photoshop: Noise, Textures, Gradients and Rounded Rectangles by Marc Edwards
• Useful Adobe Photoshop Techniques, Tutorials and Tools by Vitaly Friedman
• The Ultimate Guide To Cloning In Photoshop by Joshua Johnson
• The Ultimate Collection Of Useful Photoshop Actions by Jacob Gube
• Unveiling Photoshop Masks by Thomas Giannattasio

http://www.stumbleupon.com/su/5SUAd1/www.smashingmagazine.com/2011/03/25/30-tips-and-tricks-for-photo-retouching-that-you-dont-know-yet/

Internet Connection Fails - How To Fix

While surfing the Internet, are you getting can't find the server error? Or is it saying that your TCP/IP needs resetting? Wondering what could be the cause for internet dropout? There are a number of reasons which cause this problem and you need to go to the root and fix them. For Internet help, you may talk to a computer repair service provider.

Many remote PC service providers are there that offer troubleshooting support to the PC users. These companies offer computer services round the clock. There are certified experts who offer comprehensive support for problems with the Internet connection. Services are delivered through the telephone and the Internet. As far as the cost of service is concerned, it is quite reasonable.

As mentioned, there are several possible reasons for which your Internet connection may stop working. For instance, for the dialup connection, noise on the phone line is the prime reason for this problem. Those who are using a high-speed cable connection, for them, the problem will not be related to this. There might be something else which is causing the problem.

Electronic devices fail at random times. So, before proceeding for any troubleshooting steps, you should turn the device off and then turn it on. If you have a cable modem, and you are experiencing slow or dropped Internet connection, then just unplug the cable modem. Then wait for 30 seconds and turn it on. The problem will be solved. If not, just replace the modem.

Many a times, the problem occurs due to software-related issue. Is there any other computer at your home? Is it giving no trouble getting online? If so, then you need to check the firewall. This piece of software program is designed to block certain Internet connections. There might be any bug in the firewall software that is mistakenly shutting down ALL network connections.

In order to fix this problem, you open the configuration page of the firewall and check to see what programs are being blocked. If you find nothing is blocked, just shut down or uninstall the firewall software and re-install it. If you find the problem is resolved, the problem was with the firewall software.

For uninstalling the firewall software, click on the Start button, and then open Control Panel, then click Add/Remove Programs. Look for the firewall software in the list and then click the Remove button. Sometimes, the firewall software is bundled with anti-virus of internet security package. In this case, you need to click on that package and select the firewall for removal. And leave the anti-virus protection in place.

Do you have a router between your computer and the cable modem? If so, it is not important to install the software-based firewall. These days, routers come with built-in hardware-based firewalls.

Following aforementioned troubleshooting tips you can fix the Internet connection related issue. If still the problem persists, it is recommended to report the problem to your Internet service provider. They will look into the problem and fix it right away.

Article Source: http://www.ArticleBlast.com

10 Android Apps For Watching Movies And TV Shows

Android indeed makes life easier for its users as it allows us to get information or be entertained almost anywhere, anytime. Watching movies and TV shows even when you’re not at home is made possible with Android. Here are some Android apps for watching movies and TV shows:

1. Movie Stream

With Movie Stream, you can watch movies directly on your Android gadget. This app allows you to search for several movies over the internet and watch them. You can search by genres or by year to help you narrow down your choices. Also, you can select an external link from which you can view the movie of your choice. Movie Stream stores data into the SD Card temporarily. This allows you to watch your movies anytime you want and anywhere you go. Movie Stream’s interface is easy to use.

2. Crackle

Sony-owned Crackle allows its user to watch full-length movies, TV streaming and web series. Watching these, however, comes with a price. You can download this app for free. Along with this free download are mini content including TV shows squeezed to a few minutes.

3. Netflix

Netflix is a popular movie and TV streaming app commonly run on the iOs and Windows 7 operating systems. Now, Netflix is available on Android. This allows Android users to search and watch movies and TV shows of their choice. It can be downloaded for free in the market but it may not be supported by certain phones.

4. http://TV.com

If you don’t want to miss an episode of your favorite show, then here’s an app for you. http://TV.com brings your TV into your gadget even when you’re on the go. Watch videos from The CW, CNET, CBS and other shows with just a touch of a button.

5. Cartube

Cartube is an app which many kids may find interesting. Here, you can find classic animated movies available as YouTube videos. There are 30 symbols in this app and each represents and plays a certain cartoon. If a certain cartoon is removed, one can assign an alternate cartoon to that symbol. Broken links will be looked into by future releases as necessary.

6. Giant Bomb

If you’re into gaming, then this app is for you. Giant Bomb features the latest happenings in the game industry. With this app, you can watch clips and demos of different games. This app also allows you to read reviews and get the latest information about your favorite games.

7. Howcast

If you like to know how to get things done, this app may be very useful to you. Howcast features a lot of how-to-videos which you can view without having to turn on your PC. This is very useful especially when you’re on the go. Whether you’re trying to learn how to cook or fix something, Howcast gives you knowledge with a touch of a button.

8. Jetflicks

Jetlicks is a reliable app which allows you to stream TV shows in high quality over 3G, 4G or Wi-Fi. A good thing about Jetflicks is that it is updated daily so that you won’t miss an episode of your favorite show.

9. Ustream Broadcaster

The Android version of Ustream Broadcaster for allows its users to view live mobile video from their devices over 3G or Wi-Fi. With this app, one can also record high-quality videos offline and later upload the video to Ustream.

10. Fox News

If you want to be updated with the latest happenings in your country or around the world, then you might find this app very beneficial. Fox News is the first and only news application for Android. This app allows you to watch latest video clips, listen to FOX news radio, read the news, view photos and receive FOX news alerts.

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Blogging Software Tips and Tricks

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The step-by-step coaching can give you access to sources and products that the majority of the internet marketing guru's use. You will be able to create brilliant content-rich blogs that will deliver value to your audience. Also, the system's software program will automatically post new material in your own blog for your visitors!

With Commission Maniac you are going to get blueprints and a software package that will teach you the most effective ways you can setup your blogs, the way you can target successful niches, how you can do powerful keyword research and just how to use the powerful software program and methods to your advantage.

Pingdom dot com recently stated that you will find more than a 150 million blogs posted online today. This figure is regularly shifting as a result of the development of new applications, resources, and software (like Commission Maniac) that will show you a simple and straight forward technique that can have anyone getting started on their very own website (even folks with very little marketing or writing experience).

You'll find three principal blogging classes online today:

Individual/Personal bloggers
Company bloggers
Specialist bloggers
Problogging (specialized blogging) refers to blogging for profit. Probloggers (expert bloggers) are individuals that make an income from blogging.
As shown below, there are a variety of strategies to make a healthy income from blogging:
Advertising
Affiliate Software Programs
Digital Products
Blog network articles or blog posts
Creating blog sites for businesses
Flipping blogs
Merchandising
Consulting and Coaching

Whichever strategy you select, just make sure that it suits your style, in addition to fitting in to your budget to make sure that you stick with it for the long haul.

Read below for a few quick tips to keep in mind when putting your blogs together:

• Be committed. Blogging usually will take time to create and continue on with, so like it, enjoy what your doing and make sure you have a long-term goal for your project.
• Know your audience. Targeting a specific audience or group is often a important stage to creating a loyal group of readers.
• Be an 'expert' inside your specialized area of interest. Concentrate on your subject and build your blog to show your practical experience within your particular niche. (Very Profitable)
• Diversify. Never get stuck employing the exact same process all the time. Learn and experiment with the most effective way to create unique web page concepts that should enable you to generate a living writing blogs on the net.
• Make sure your blog site is intriguing! Test unique themes and style, understand what your viewers like and do not like, be certain you pay attention to detail and do not clutter your web site. Be sure your written content is straightforward and covers the theme of your blog so your viewers will not be distracted and bounce off your website.
• Interact with your readers! If a visitor leaves a suggestion or comment or maybe a question on your blog that needs a response, be sure you reply! First of all, it is just common courtesy to respond and secondly, your reader will like the fact that you have taken the time to respond to their comment or query and they will return to your site again and again.

Earning money from blogging is very obtainable, there are people that do it every single day. Do not think that it can be too tough or that you just are unable to do it, you will find a great number of tools, training and programs available that will make it so effortless. You will have the chance to learn from other internet entrepreneurs who do precisely the same thing every day, so do not miss out on a fantastic chance to start generating an income from your own home.

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all iphone software

The iPhone, iPod Touch and iPad run an operating system known as iOS (formerly iPhone OS). It is a variant of the same Darwin operating system core that is found in Mac OS X. Also included is the "Core Animation" software component from Mac OS X v10.5 Leopard. Together with the PowerVR hardware (and on the iPhone 3GS, OpenGL ES 2.0), it is responsible for the interface's motion graphics. The operating system takes up less than half a gigabyte.^[94] It is capable of supporting bundled and future applications from Apple, as well as from third-party developers. Software applications cannot be copied directly from Mac OS X but must be written and compiled specifically for iOS.

Like the iPod, the iPhone is managed from a computer using iTunes. The earliest versions of the OS required version 7.3 or later, which is compatible with Mac OS X version 10.3.9 Panther or later, and 32-bit Windows XP or Vista.^[95] The release of iTunes 7.6 expanded this support to include 64-bit versions of XP and Vista,^[96] and a workaround has been discovered for previous 64-bit Windows operating systems.^[97] Apple provides free updates to the OS for the iPhone through iTunes,^[94] and major updates have historically accompanied new models.^[98] Such updates often require a newer version of iTunes — for example, the 3.0 update requires iTunes 8.2 — but the iTunes system requirements have stayed the same. Updates include both security patches and new features.^[99] For example, iPhone 3G users initially experienced dropped calls until an update was issued.^[100][101]

[edit] Interface

The interface is based around the home screen, a graphical list of available applications. iPhone applications normally run one at a time (not including iOS 4, which includes running applications in the background^[102]), although most functionality is still available when making a call or listening to music. The home screen can be accessed at any time by a hardware button below the screen, closing the open application in the process.^[103] By default, the Home screen contains the following icons: Messages (SMS and MMS messaging), Calendar, Photos, Camera, YouTube, Stocks, Maps (Google Maps), Weather, Voice Memos, Notes, Clock, Calculator, Settings, iTunes (store), App Store, and (on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4) Compass. Docked at the base of the screen, four icons for Phone, Mail, Safari (Internet), and iPod (multimedia) delineate the iPhone's main purposes.^[104] On January 15, 2008, Apple released software update 1.1.3, allowing users to create "Web Clips", home screen icons that resemble apps that open a user-defined page in Safari. After the update, iPhone users can rearrange and place icons on up to nine other adjacent home screens, accessed by a horizontal swipe.^[41] Users can also add and delete icons from the dock, which is the same on every home screen. Each home screen holds up to sixteen icons, and the dock holds up to four icons. Users can delete Web Clips and third-party applications at any time, and may select only certain applications for transfer from iTunes. Apple's default programs, however, may not be removed. The 3.0 update adds a system-wide search, known as Spotlight, to the left of the first home screen.^[39][40]

Almost all input is given through the touch screen, which understands complex gestures using multi-touch. The iPhone's interaction techniques enable the user to move the content up or down by a touch-drag motion of the finger. For example, zooming in and out of web pages and photos is done by placing two fingers on the screen and spreading them farther apart or bringing them closer together, a gesture known as "pinching". Scrolling through a long list or menu is achieved by sliding a finger over the display from bottom to top, or vice versa to go back. In either case, the list moves as if it is pasted on the outer surface of a wheel, slowly decelerating as if affected by friction. In this way, the interface simulates the physics of a real object. Other user-centered interactive effects include horizontally sliding sub-selection, the vertically sliding keyboard and bookmarks menu, and widgets that turn around to allow settings to be configured on the other side. Menu bars are found at the top and bottom of the screen when necessary. Their options vary by program, but always follow a consistent style motif. In menu hierarchies, a "back" button in the top-left corner of the screen displays the name of the parent folder.

[edit] Phone

When making a call, the iPhone presents a number of options, including FaceTime on supported models. The screen is automatically disabled when held close to the face.

The iPhone allows audio conferencing, call holding, call merging, caller ID, and integration with other cellular network features and iPhone functions. For example, if music is playing when a call is received, the music fades out, and fades back in when the call has ended. The proximity sensor shuts off the screen and touch-sensitive circuitry when the iPhone is brought close to the face, both to save battery and prevent unintentional touches. The iPhone does not support video calling or videoconferencing on versions prior to the fourth generation, as there is only one camera on the opposite side of the screen.^[105] The iPhone 4 supports video calling using either the front or back camera over Wi-Fi, a feature Apple calls FaceTime.^[106] The first two models only support voice dialing through third-party applications.^[107] Voice control, available only on the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4, allows users to say a contact's name or number and the iPhone will dial.^[108]

The iPhone includes a visual voicemail (in some countries)^[109] feature allowing users to view a list of current voicemail messages on-screen without having to call into their voicemail. Unlike most other systems, messages can be listened to and deleted in a non-chronological order by choosing any message from an on-screen list.

A music ringtone feature was introduced in the United States on September 5, 2007. Users can create custom ringtones from songs purchased from the iTunes Store for a small additional fee. The ringtones can be 3 to 30 seconds long from any part of a song, can fade in and out, pause from half a second to five seconds when looped, or loop continuously. All customizing can be done in iTunes,^[110] or alternatively with Apple's GarageBand software 4.1.1 or later (available only on Mac OS X)^[111] or third-party tools.^[112]

[edit] Multimedia

The photo display application supports both portrait and landscape orientations.

The layout of the music library is similar to that of an iPod or current Symbian S60 phones. The iPhone can sort its media library by songs, artists, albums, videos, playlists, genres, composers, podcasts, audiobooks, and compilations. Options are always presented alphabetically, except in playlists, which retain their order from iTunes. The iPhone uses a large font that allows users plenty of room to touch their selection. Users can rotate their device horizontally to landscape mode to access Cover Flow. Like on iTunes, this feature shows the different album covers in a scroll-through photo library. Scrolling is achieved by swiping a finger across the screen. Alternatively, headset controls can be used to pause, play, skip, and repeat tracks. On the iPhone 3GS, the volume can be changed with the included Apple Earphones, and the Voice Control feature can be used to identify a track, play songs in a playlist or by a specific artist, or create a Genius playlist.^[108]

The iPhone supports gapless playback.^[113] Like the fifth-generation iPods introduced in 2005, the iPhone can play digital video, allowing users to watch TV shows and movies in widescreen. Double-tapping switches between widescreen and fullscreen video playback.

The iPhone allows users to purchase and download songs from the iTunes Store directly to their iPhone. The feature originally required a Wi-Fi network, but now^[when?] can use the cellular data network if one is not available.^[114]

The iPhone includes software that allows the user to upload, view, and e-mail photos taken with the camera. The user zooms in and out of photos by sliding two fingers further apart or closer together, much like Safari. The Camera application also lets users view the camera roll, the pictures that have been taken with the iPhone's camera. Those pictures are also available in the Photos application, along with any transferred from iPhoto or Aperture on a Mac, or Photoshop on a Windows PC.

[edit] Internet connectivity

Wikipedia Main Page on the iPhone's Safari web browser in landscape mode

Internet access is available when the iPhone is connected to a local area Wi-Fi or a wide area GSM or EDGE network, both second-generation (2G) wireless data standards. The iPhone 3G introduced support for third-generation UMTS and HSDPA 3.6,^[115] but not HSUPA networks, and only the iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 support HSDPA 7.2.^[116] AT&T introduced 3G in July 2004,^[117] but as late as 2007, Steve Jobs stated that it was still not widespread enough in the US, and the chipsets not energy efficient enough, to be included in the iPhone.^[33][118] Support for 802.1X, an authentication system commonly used by university and corporate Wi-Fi networks, was added in the 2.0 version update.^[119]

By default, the iPhone will ask to join newly discovered Wi-Fi networks and prompt for the password when required. Alternatively, it can join closed Wi-Fi networks manually.^[120] The iPhone will automatically choose the strongest network, connecting to Wi-Fi instead of EDGE when it is available.^[121] Similarly, the iPhone 3G, 3GS and 4 prefer 3G to 2G, and Wi-Fi to either.^[122] Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, and 3G (on the iPhone 3G, 3GS, and 4) can all be deactivated individually. Airplane mode disables all wireless connections at once, overriding other preferences. However, once in Airplane mode, one can explicitly enable Wi-Fi and/or Bluetooth modes to join and continue to operate over one or both of those networks while the cellular network transceivers remain off.

The iPhone 3GS has a maximum download rate of 7.2 Mbit/s.^[123] Furthermore, files downloaded over cellular networks must be smaller than 20 MB.^[124] Larger files, often email attachments or podcasts, must be downloaded over Wi-Fi (which has no file size limits). If Wi-Fi is unavailable, one workaround is to open the files directly in Safari.^[125]

Safari is the iPhone's native web browser, and it displays pages similar to its Mac and Windows counterparts. Web pages may be viewed in portrait or landscape mode and supports automatic zooming by pinching together or spreading apart fingertips on the screen, or by double-tapping text or images.^[126][127] The iPhone supports neither Flash^[128] nor Java.^{[129][unreliable source?]} Consequently, the UK's Advertising Standards Authority adjudicated that an advertisement claiming the iPhone could access "all parts of the internet" should be withdrawn in its current form, on grounds of false advertising.^[130] In a rare public letter in April 2010, Apple CEO Steve Jobs outlined the reasoning behind the absence of Flash on the iPhone (and iPad).^[131] The iPhone supports SVG, CSS, HTML Canvas, and Bonjour.^[132][133]

The maps application can access Google Maps in map, satellite, or hybrid form. It can also generate directions between two locations, while providing optional real-time traffic information. During the iPhone's announcement, Jobs demonstrated this feature by searching for nearby Starbucks locations and then placing a prank call to one with a single tap.^[3][134] Support for walking directions, public transit, and street view was added in the version 2.2 software update, but no voice-guided navigation.^[135] The iPhone 3GS and iPhone 4 can orient the map with its digital compass.^[43] Apple also developed a separate application to view YouTube videos on the iPhone, which streams videos after encoding them using the H.264 codec. Simple weather and stock quotes applications also tap in to the Internet.

iPhone users can and do access the Internet frequently, and in a variety of places. According to Google, in 2008, the iPhone generated 50 times more search requests than any other mobile handset.^[136] According to Deutsche Telekom CEO René Obermann, "The average Internet usage for an iPhone customer is more than 100 megabytes. This is 30 times the use for our average contract-based consumer customers."^[137] Nielsen found that 98% of iPhone users use data services, and 88% use the internet.^[13] In China, the iPhone 3G and iPhone 3GS were built and distributed without Wi-fi.^[138]

With the introduction of the Verizon iPhone in January 2011, the issue of using internet while on the phone has been brought to the public's attention. Under the two US carriers, internet and phone could be used simultaneously on ATT networks, whereas the Verizon networks only support for the use of each separately.^[139]

[edit] Text input

The virtual keyboard on the original iPhone's touchscreen.

For text input, the iPhone implements a virtual keyboard on the touchscreen. It has automatic spell checking and correction, predictive word capabilities, and a dynamic dictionary that learns new words. The keyboard can predict what word the user is typing and complete it, and correct for the accidental pressing of keys near the presumed desired key.^[140] The keys are somewhat larger and spaced farther apart when in landscape mode, which is supported by only a limited number of applications. Touching a section of text for a brief time brings up a magnifying glass, allowing users to place the cursor in the middle of existing text. The virtual keyboard can accommodate 21 languages, including character recognition for Chinese.^[141] The 3.0 update brought support for cut, copy, or pasting text, as well as landscape keyboards in more applications.^[39][40]

[edit] E-mail and text messages

The iPhone also features an e-mail program that supports HTML e-mail, which enables the user to embed photos in an e-mail message. PDF, Word, Excel, and Powerpoint attachments to mail messages can be viewed on the phone.^[142] Apple's MobileMe platform offers push email, which emulates the functionality of the popular BlackBerry email solution, for an annual subscription. Yahoo! offers a free push-email service for the iPhone. IMAP (although not Push-IMAP) and POP3 mail standards are also supported, including Microsoft Exchange^[143] and Kerio Connect.^[144] In the first versions of the iPhone firmware, this was accomplished by opening up IMAP on the Exchange server. Apple has also licensed Microsoft ActiveSync and now^[when?] supports the platform (including push email) with the release of iPhone 2.0 firmware.^[145][146] The iPhone will sync e-mail account settings over from Apple's own Mail application, Microsoft Outlook, and Microsoft Entourage, or it can be manually configured on the device itself. With the correct settings, the e-mail program can access almost any IMAP or POP3 account.^[147]

Text messages are presented chronologically in a mailbox format similar to Mail, which places all text from recipients together with replies. Text messages are displayed in speech bubbles (similar to iChat) under each recipient's name. The iPhone has built-in support for e-mail message forwarding, drafts, and direct internal camera-to-e-mail picture sending. Support for multi-recipient SMS was added in the 1.1.3 software update.^[148] Support for MMS was added in the 3.0 update, but not for the original iPhone^[39][40] and not in the U.S. until September 25, 2009.^[149][150]

[edit] Third-party applications

See also: iOS SDK and App Store

At WWDC 2007 on June 11, 2007, Apple announced that the iPhone would support third-party "web applications" written in Ajax that share the look and feel of the iPhone interface.^[151] On October 17, 2007, Steve Jobs, in an open letter posted to Apple's "Hot News" weblog, announced that a software development kit (SDK) would be made available to third-party developers in February 2008. The iPhone SDK was officially announced and released on March 6, 2008, at the Apple Town Hall facility.^[152] It is a free download, with an Apple registration, that allows developers to develop native applications for the iPhone and iPod Touch, then test them in an "iPhone simulator". However, loading an application onto a real device is only possible after paying an Apple Developer Connection membership fee. Developers are free to set any price for their applications to be distributed through the App Store, of which they will receive a 70% share.^[153] Developers can also opt to release the application for free and will not pay any costs to release or distribute the application beyond the membership fee. The App Store was launched with the release of iOS 2.0, on July 11, 2008.^[146] The update was free for iPhone users; owners of older iPod Touches were required to pay US$10 for it.^[154]

Once a developer has submitted an application to the App Store, Apple holds firm control over its distribution. Apple can halt the distribution of applications it deems inappropriate, for example, I Am Rich, a US$1000 program that simply demonstrated the wealth of its user.^[155] Apple has been criticized for banning third-party applications that enable a functionality that Apple does not want the iPhone to have: In 2008, Apple rejected Podcaster, which allowed iPhone users to download podcasts directly to the iPhone claiming it duplicated the functionality of iTunes.^[156] Apple has since released a software update that grants this capability.^[135]

NetShare, another rejected app, would have enabled users to tether their iPhone to a laptop or desktop, using its cellular network to load data for the computer.^[157] Many carriers of the iPhone later globally allowed tethering before Apple officially supported it with the upgrade to the iOS 3.0, with AT&T Mobility being a relative latecomer in the United States.^[158] In most cases, the carrier charges extra for tethering an iPhone.

Before the SDK was released, third-parties were permitted to design "Web Apps" that would run through Safari.^[159] Unsigned native applications are also available for "jailbroken" phones.^[160] The ability to install native applications onto the iPhone outside of the App Store is not supported by Apple, the stated reason being that such native applications could be broken by any software update, but Apple has stated it will not design software updates specifically to break native applications other than those that perform SIM unlocking.^[161]

On January 2011 Apple has passed 10 billion app downloads.^[162]

[edit] Accessibility

The iPhone can enlarge text to make it more accessible for vision-impaired users,^[163] and can accommodate hearing-impaired users with closed captioning and external TTY devices.^[164] The iPhone 3GS also features white on black mode, VoiceOver (a screen reader), and zooming for impaired vision, and mono audio for limited hearing in one ear.^[165] Apple regularly publishes Voluntary Product Accessibility Templates which explicitly state compliance with the US regulation "Section 508".^[166]

[edit] Intellectual property

Apple has filed more than 200 patent applications related to the technology behind the iPhone.^[167][168]

LG Electronics claimed the iPhone's design was copied from the LG Prada. Woo-Young Kwak, head of LG Mobile Handset R&D Center, said at a press conference, "We consider that Apple copied Prada phone after the design was unveiled when it was presented in the iF Design Award and won the prize in September 2006."^[169]

On September 3, 1993, Infogear filed for the U.S. trademark "I PHONE"^[170] and on March 20, 1996 applied for the trademark "IPhone".^[171] "I Phone" was registered in March 1998,^[170] and "IPhone" was registered in 1999.^[171] Since then, the I PHONE mark had been abandoned.^[170] Infogear's trademarks cover "communications terminals comprising computer hardware and software providing integrated telephone, data communications and personal computer functions" (1993 filing),^[170] and "computer hardware and software for providing integrated telephone communication with computerized global information networks" (1996 filing).^[172] Infogear released a telephone with an integrated web browser under the name iPhone in 1998.^[173] In 2000, Infogear won an infringement claim against the owners of the iphones.com domain name.^[174] In June 2000, Cisco Systems acquired Infogear, including the iPhone trademark.^[175] On December 18, 2006, they released a range of re-branded Voice over IP (VoIP) sets under the name iPhone.^[176]

In October 2002, Apple applied for the "iPhone" trademark in the United Kingdom, Australia, Singapore, and the European Union. A Canadian application followed in October 2004, and a New Zealand application in September 2006. As of October 2006, only the Singapore and Australian applications had been granted. In September 2006, a company called Ocean Telecom Services applied for an "iPhone" trademark in the United States, United Kingdom and Hong Kong, following a filing in Trinidad and Tobago.^[177] As the Ocean Telecom trademark applications use exactly the same wording as Apple's New Zealand application, it is assumed that Ocean Telecom is applying on behalf of Apple.^[178] The Canadian application was opposed in August 2005, by a Canadian company called Comwave who themselves applied for the trademark three months later. Comwave has been selling VoIP devices called iPhone since 2004.^[175]

Shortly after Steve Jobs' January 9, 2007 announcement that Apple would be selling a product called iPhone in June 2007, Cisco issued a statement that it had been negotiating trademark licensing with Apple and expected Apple to agree to the final documents that had been submitted the night before.^[179] On January 10, 2007, Cisco announced it had filed a lawsuit against Apple over the infringement of the trademark iPhone, seeking an injunction in federal court to prohibit Apple from using the name.^[180] More recently, Cisco claimed that the trademark lawsuit was a "minor skirmish" that was not about money, but about interoperability.^[181]

On February 2, 2007, Apple and Cisco announced that they had agreed to temporarily suspend litigation while they held settlement talks,^[182] and subsequently announced on February 20, 2007, that they had reached an agreement. Both companies will be allowed to use the "iPhone" name^[183] in exchange for "exploring interoperability" between their security, consumer, and business communications products.^[184]

The iPhone has also inspired several leading high-tech clones,^[185] driving both Apple's popularity and consumer willingness to upgrade iPhones quickly.^[186]

On October 22, 2009, Nokia filed a lawsuit against Apple for infringement of its GSM, UMTS and WLAN patents. Nokia alleges that Apple has been violating ten of Nokia's patents since the iPhone's initial release.^[187]

In December 2010, Reuters reported that some iPhone and iPad users were suing Apple Inc because some applications were passing user information to third-party advertisers without permission. Some makers of the applications such as Textplus4, Paper Toss, Weather Channel, Dictionary.com, Talking Tom Cat and Pumpkin Maker have also been named as co-defendants in the lawsuit.^[188]

Since April 20, 2011, a hidden unencrypted file on the iPhone and other iOS devices has been widely discussed in the media.^[189][190] The file, labeled "consolidated.db", constantly stores the iPhone user's movement by approximating geographic locations calculated by triangulating nearby cell phone towers, a technology proven to be inaccurate at times.^[191] The file was released with the June 2010 update of Apple's iOS4 and may contain almost one year's worth of data. Previous versions of iOS stored similar information in a file called "h-cells.plist".^[192] F-Secure discovered that the data is transmitted to Apple twice a day and postulate that Apple is using the information to construct their global location database similar to the ones constructed by Google and Skyhook through wardriving.^[193] Nevertheless, unlike Google's "Latitude" application, which performs a similar task on Android phones, the file is not dependent upon signing a specific EULA or even the user's knowledge, but it is stated in the iPhone's 15,200 words long terms and conditions that "Apple and [their] partners and licensees may collect, use, and share precise location data, including the real-time geographic location of [the user's] Apple computer or device".^[194] The file is also automatically copied onto the user's computer once synchronized with the iPhone. An open source application named "iPhoneTracker", which turns the data stored in the file into a visual map, was made available to the public in April 2011.^[195] While the file cannot be erased without jailbreaking the phone, it can be encrypted.^[196] Apple gave an official response on their web site on April 27^[197] after questions were submitted by users, The Associated Press and others.^[198] Apple indicated that the data is a crowd-sourced location database cache, used to make location services faster, and that the volume of data retained was an error; they issued an update for iOS (version 4.3.3, or 4.2.8 for the CDMA iPhone 4) which reduced the size of the cache, stopped it being backed up to iTunes, and erased it entirely if whenever location services were turned off.^[197]

[edit] Restrictions

Jailbroken iPod Touch on iOS 3.0. The serial number and Wi-Fi address have been removed from the image.

Apple tightly controls certain aspects of the iPhone. The hacker community has found many workarounds, most of which are disallowed by Apple and threaten to void the device's warranty.^[199] "Jailbreaking" allows users to install apps not available on the App Store or modify basic functionality. SIM unlocking allows the iPhone to be used on a different carrier's network.^[200]

[edit] Activation

The iPhone normally prevents access to its media player and web features unless it has also been activated as a phone with an authorized carrier. On July 3, 2007, Jon Lech Johansen reported on his blog that he had successfully bypassed this requirement and unlocked the iPhone's other features with a combination of custom software and modification of the iTunes binary. He published the software and offsets for others to use.^[201]

Unlike the original, the iPhone 3G must be activated in the store in most countries.^[202] This makes the iPhone 3G more difficult, but not impossible, to hack. The need for in-store activation, as well as the huge number of first-generation iPhone and iPod Touch users upgrading to iPhone OS 2.0, caused a worldwide overload of Apple's servers on July 11, 2008, the day on which both the iPhone 3G and iPhone OS 2.0 updates as well as MobileMe were released. After the update, devices were required to connect to Apple's servers to authenticate the update, causing many devices to be temporarily unusable.^[203] A year later, Apple released the 3.0 software two days before the iPhone 3GS to avoid such issues.

Users on the O2 network in the United Kingdom, however, can buy the phone online and activate it via iTunes as with the previous model.^[204] Even where not required, vendors usually offer activation for the buyer's convenience. In the U.S., Apple has begun to offer free shipping on both the iPhone 3G and the iPhone 3GS (when available), reversing the in-store activation requirement. Best Buy and Wal-Mart will also sell the iPhone.^[205]

^{http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/IPhone}