If you own an iPad then is pretty likely that you have already installed and and are enjoying the iOS 5 update features like AirPlay Mirroring, wireless iTunes syncing, iCloud, Newsstand and the notification centre. However, there are a number of iPad specific features that you may not have picked up on yet.
iPad tips and tricks (iOS 5)
The folks over at APC have prepared a list of iPad tips. While we have come across most of them , there were a couple of hidden features in iOS 5 that we never knew existed:
If you want to enjoy multi-touch gestures which is one of them, go to Settings > General, and change Multitasking Gestures onto ‘on’. Swipe up from the bottom of the screen to bring up the multitasking bar, and swipe from one side to the other to switch between apps which are running. Then pinch the screen to return to your home page.
Another of the features is the Reading List on Safari, which means you can save web pages for later use, a bit like Read It Later or Instapaper. Although this isn’t exclusive to iPad, you can sync the Reading List to other iOS devices and your personal computer by syncing bookmarks in iCloud (Settings > iCloud). This works as long as the iCloud account you are using is the same on each device. If it doesn’t appear to be syncing, try turning the bookmark sync on and off again on both devices simultaneously. In order to save a page to your Reading List, go to the bookmark icon, click on Reading List, and tap ‘+’. To take pages out of your Reading List, swipe right across the list and you should see a Delete button to press.
One of the other features you may have yet to find, but should be of interest if you’ve noticed that your iPad camera isn’t up to much, is the Photo Stream, which also makes use of iCloud syncing across devices. If you have an iPhone 4 or a 4S, use the camera and then using Photo Stream, transfer the photos to your iPad so that you can view and edit the pictures on the larger screen. However take note that the sync can only take place if both devices are connected to a wireless network. This isn’t a problem if you have a jailbroken iPhone and iPad which have been tricked into thinking they are connected to wireless when it is actually 3G. You can do this with the 3G Unrestrictor jailbreak app.
The final ‘hidden’ feature worth mentioning is the split keyboard, which aims to make typing easier when you are holding your iPad with both hands and are typing with your thumbs. In order to display the keyboard in this way, get your keyboard onto the screen, drag the keyboard icon (bottom right hand corner) upwards. Once the keyboard has automatically then split in two, you are able to position the keyboard wherever you like on the screen by dragging. You can also use the split keyboard portrait or landscape. If you drag the keyboard right down to the bottom of the screen, the full-sized keyboard is restored.
