Two Lesser-known features of iOS 5

Shortcuts

One feature that I’m using a fair bit in iOS 5 is Shortcuts. ‘Shortcuts’ are pre-defined text snippets that work throughout the system. Think of Shortcuts as a simplified TextExpander on your iOS device. This video by ios5today shows how the Shortcuts feature works.

Speak Selection

Another useful, but rather limited feature is ‘Speak Selection’. Now you can select text from anywhere within iOS 5 and choose ‘Speak’ from the pop-up overlay. First you need to turn on the feature. Go into Settings -> General -> Accessibility and turn on ‘Speak Selection’. Watch it in action here.

Sunday Herald names footballer accused on Twitter BBC: A Scottish newspaper has named a footballer accused of being linked to a privacy injunction by users of social networking website Twitter. The Sunday Herald is the first mainstream UK publication to do this. Its front page has an image of a man whose eyes are covered with a black bar which features the word “censored”. It comes after Twitter users reacted to a footballer’s bid to find out who is putting information about him on the website by posting new messages online.

Sunday Herald names footballer accused on Twitter

BBC:

A Scottish newspaper has named a footballer accused of being linked to a privacy injunction by users of social networking website Twitter.

The Sunday Herald is the first mainstream UK publication to do this.

Its front page has an image of a man whose eyes are covered with a black bar which features the word “censored”.

It comes after Twitter users reacted to a footballer’s bid to find out who is putting information about him on the website by posting new messages online.

Why Cover Flow is Broken

Cover Flow enables you to flick through your music by album artwork. It’s a great little feature but it’s broken and alway has been.

Cover Flow

Cover Flow works as you would expect when at a root level i.e on the Artists or Albums tab but not when browsing inside a playlist.

Try it yourself. When you’re browsing inside a playlist turn the iPod landscape to enter Cover Flow mode. Now you would expect to see just the artwork for just the albums inside that playlist right? Wrong, Cover Flow has one view, your entire music collection only.

Perhaps I’m doing something wrong here? Your comments are welcome.

Man shot in the head trying to rob Apple Store

Two men and woman apparently attempting to rob the Apple Store did a “smash and grab,” […] A private armed security guard interrupted the burglars and at some point, gunfire was exchanged with the two male burglars, who were also armed.

Armed security guards! Wow.

“
Our best sensor technology is built in one of the (tsunami) affected factories. Those go to Apple for their iPhones…or iPads. Isn’t that something? They buy our best sensors from us?
Howard Stringer Sony’s CEO
I ♥ this shirt

I ♥ this shirt

Awesome time-lapse of the northern lights, shot in Norway by Terje Sorgjerd

Gays Furious As Apple Pulls Christian “Gay Cure” App

Gays around the world are furious with Apple as the one app that would have saved them from eternal damnation gets pulled.

South Bank Juggler (by Dave Day)

My first trip out testing the EOS 550D T2i. A cold November morning in London. Stabilisation was a real problem, I used a monopod but looking at this footage it’s obvious I really needed a tripod. I found changing lenses a pain so stuck with the 50mm prime. Editing in iMovie ‘11 was quick and easy. All footage shot in 720 50p, exported as 25p

Music by Urban Trad

Add a vignette to a video effect in iMovie 09 (by Dave Day)

A workaround to combine a vignette and a video effect together in iMovie 09.