iPhone Secrets

PART II

Acing the Advanced Features

• Chapter 5 Multi-Tasking Magic
• Chapter 6 Taking FaceTime (and Those Other Video Calling Solutions) to the Next Level
• Chapter 7 Streaming Your Multimedia Without Wires: Airplay
• Chapter 8 Cutting the Cord: Utilizing Wireless Functionality

Chapter 5

Multi-Tasking Magic

In This Chapter

• Learning the shortcuts
• Discovering what’s hidden
• Managing your background apps
• Universally searching
• Gesturing your way around iOS

I’ve alluded to this before, but Apple’s definition of multi-tasking on the iPhone doesn’t jibe with the definition that was (and still is) used within the desktop operating system realm. iOS 5 and iOS 6 can most certainly have multiple applications running at once, but you’ll be forced to look at ‘em one at a time. In my estimation, that’s more like “backgrounding,” but this chapter doesn’t spend any more time arguing semantics. Instead, I explain how to make the very most out of what Apple has to offer in terms of multi-tasking (or whatever you prefer to call it), and how to think about your workflow in a way that follows logic in the iOS world. You learn about shortcuts, dig deep to figure out what’s hidden, and learn to manage the apps that are running in the background. You even learn about reducing resource load by killing apps that you aren’t actively using, and I show you why Apple’s Spotlight is the unsung hero of iPhone productivity. Finally, I touch (ahem) on the expanding world of multitouch gestures, which Apple has placed ...