tipping

Spotlight, an advanced utility for searching, migrated from the Mac to the iPhone and iPod Touch, and we should all be grateful for that since it is quite useful. Spotlight also happens to be one of my favorite iPhone features, and this week I'd like to share some of my favorite tips about it.

Access Spotlight

You access Spotlight from the iPhone Home screen by pressing the Home button once when you are on the first Home screen, or by simply swiping left while that screen is displayed.

If you are on a different screen, press the Home key … Read more

'Tis the season for tunes, and I'm willing to bet that at least a few lucky readers got their hands on a shiny new Zune HD recently. Getting acquainted with this excellent MP3 player will be entertainment enough for some, but there are some possible frustrations that may need to be overcome, and there's more fun to be had beyond the initial features of the device. No matter what the case may be, we've got you covered with a slew of useful articles designed to help Zune HD owners. I've rounded up some of the key … Read more

If you're too deep into your food coma to adequately calculate how much each party owes for the bill, tap open Tip Calculator. The free app, like others in its class, is simple, but rapidly breaks down the total each diner owes. Thankfully, this tip calculator requires that you only type in the number of people and the total bill; then select a preset tip percentage or add your own. Tip Calculator reads out the tip amount, the total bill, and how much each diner owes. Having the app remember your usual tip setting between sessions would improve it, … Read more

Increasingly, iPhone users have replaced their point-and-shoot cameras with the iPhones' built-in shooter. If you find yourself frequently reaching for your iPhone to capture a fleeting moment, you may want to reassign your buttons to make launching the camera faster. Here's how:

1. Launch the Settings app on your iPhone by tapping its icon. 2. Tap General. 3. Tap Home. 4. Tap Camera. 5. Turn Off iPod Controls.

Note: Step 5 prevents the display of iPod controls while music plays when you double-tap the home button.

Now, when you double-tap the Home button, you will go straight to the … Read more

Here's an iPhone tip for anyone who can't read the device's screen without the aid of reading glasses or other vision correction: turn on a feature Apple calls Zoom. (The iPhone 3GS and third-generation iPod Touch 32GB and 64GB models all support this feature.)

Once activated, Zoom lets you "zoom" in and out on parts of the screen using a combination of three fingers and a double-tap. Here's how to access the feature:

Activate Zoom on your Apple mobile device

1. Tap Settings app 2. Tap General 3. Tap Accessibility 4. Tap Zoom 5. … Read more

There are much more visually appealing tip calculators on the market for BlackBerry, but do you really need slick graphics to execute basic computations? Save your money and let this free app control the helm of your dining charges. Nine lines of text comprise FreeTips. Your job is to enter the total bill, number of diners, either tax rate or tax amount, and the percentage you'd like to tip (FreeTips will remember your preferred tax and tips rates between sessions). The app works out the rest: the total bill with the tip included, the total tip, amount each diner … Read more

Shopping online does carry some risk, but so does shopping at brick-and-mortar stores. At least online shoppers don't need to worry about fender-benders in the parking lot, pick pockets at the mall, or getting the flu from all those fellow shoppers.

But the nice thing about shopping online is that by following some basic guidelines you can be reasonably sure you'll have a safe experience.

Secure your PC: The first thing you need to do is be sure your computer is secure. Trend Micro's education director David Perry, says that "bad guys these days are operating … Read more

Spice up your sex life with the tips provided in this colorful ebook. Great Sex Tips is an electronic version of DK Publishing's book of the same name by Anne Hooper, a member of the British Association of Sexual and Marital Therapists and founder of the U.K.'s Women's Sexuality Workshop.

DK Publishing is known for its illustrated books, and this lush electronic version lives up to the publisher's high standards. The pages of Great Sex Tips have dark, rich background colors and feature tantalizing photographs to get you in the mood. Hooper's tips are … Read more

Sex: Classic Tips & Techniques from Ancient Times is an ebook version of Anne Hooper's book, "Kama Sutra: Classic Lovemaking Techniques Reinterpreted for Today's Lovers," published by DK. The ebook is richly illustrated and full of interesting information about ancient Eastern sexual practices and how to try them yourself.

The ebook's chapters cover topics such as "Preparing for Love," "Touching and Caressing," "Kama Sutra Positions," "Perfumed Garden Positions," and "Positions of the Tao." The ebook's introduction covers a little bit about the history of … Read more