How To

How to use the Microsoft Surface touch screen and keyboard

The Microsoft Surface is more computer than tablet. If you favor keyboards, that's a good thing. But the Surface has a lot to offer touch screen fans as well.

Like a tablet, you tap and slide your fingers on the Surface touch screen to open apps and access settings. Like a PC, you can enter keystroke shortcuts on the Surface Touch Cover and Type Cover keyboards to reach those same programs and system options.

Get the best of both the tablet and computer worlds by using these handy screen gestures and keystroke combinations for the Surface. (Note that the … Read more

Where to find Facebook's Most Recent feed in latest iOS update

Facebook released a big update to its iOS app today. Version 5.1 brings with it changes to Facebook Messenger, an improved photo upload process, and its new Facebook Gifts feature.

To reveal your Messenger contact list, you'll find a button at the top of the screen ready to take action. But wait, what button used to be there? Hmm...that's right! The button to change your feed from Most Popular to Most Recent.

To change between feeds, you'll need to tap on the button with three lines in the top-left corner of the Facebook app.

Next … Read more

How to set up your iPad Mini

Setting up your iPad Mini doesn't take a lot of time or effort, but for those first-time iOS owners who aren't too sure about the process, it can be a bit intimidating. Don't let it be. Below you'll find a slideshow of the entire setup process, from start to finish, explaining what each screen is and means to your end experience.

Before you begin, it's a good idea to have access to a Wi-Fi connection or a computer connected to the Internet with iTunes installed. You'll need one or the other to complete the … Read more

Which app should you use to browse Instagram on an iPad?

I am a regular user of Instagram and a regular user of an iPad. Unfortunately, these two items do not directly connect. Instagram has yet to release an app optimized for the iPad's larger screen, and I would advise against anyone browsing pixelated images using Instagram magnified on the iPad. Thus, you must turn to a third-party app.

Before we proceed, I should state that Instagram does not let you upload photos via a third-party app. Such an app lets you view your various Instagram feeds and offers a variety of fun and useful features, from commenting on and … Read more

Three methods for sharing an iCloud calendar

Missing an appointment or an event because you forgot to add it to your calendar is never a fun experience. Although, it does make for a good excuse. If you and your significant other (or coworkers, for that matter) use an iOS device, a Mac, iCloud, or any combination of the sort you can easily share an iCloud calendar, making sure you are both on the same schedule.

iOS Sending an invite to share an iCloud calendar using your iOS device takes just a few taps. Share an existing calendar, or create a new one, and share it by entering … Read more

How to share an iCloud calendar using iCloud.com

Sharing a calendar with your friends and family members ensures that everyone is on the same page and aware of what the other is doing. Using your iCloud account, you can share a calendar from iCloud.com in just a few minutes. Here's how:

Visit iCloud.com using your favorite browser. Log into your iCloud account and then click on the Calendars icon. The column on the left-hand side of the screen will show you all of the iCloud calendars you currently have set up. Next to each name is the silhouette of a sharing icon. Clicking on the … Read more

How to share an iCloud calendar from your iOS device

Sometimes when your significant other lets you know about an upcoming appointment or event, and you have every intention of entering it into your iCloud calendar. But, as we all know, the event doesn't always make it there.

To eliminate the need for everyone to take the time to create a new event in their calendar, share an iCloud calendar. By sharing the same calendar, any time an event is added, everyone who shares the calendar will get an alert of the new event.

Here's how to share an iCloud calendar using your iOS device:

Open the Calendar … Read more

Instacane shows us Hurricane Sandy photos from Instagram

For non-East Coasters like myself, it's hard to picture what it's like going through hurricane prep, or even a hurricane itself. With Hurricane Irene last year, Twitter and Facebook were full of photos of what the storm was really like, by those who were in the middle of it.

As Hurricane Sandy approaches, the same type of photos are appearing again, but with a good amount of them coming from Instagram. To make it easy to follow the stream of photos on Instagram, a couple of developers made a Web site aptly titled Instacane.com.

Instacane monitors (from … Read more

Browse Instagram on your iPad with Iris

Instagram does not offer an app with native support for the iPad, and blowing up the iPhone app on an iPad is not ideal unless you enjoy blurry, pixelated images. There are a number of free apps -- InstaFlow, Padgram, Pictacular -- that let you view your Instagram feed on the iPad, so why would you spend $1.99 on Iris? I can't quite recommend you do so, but it is the most polished of the group I looked at this week.

Before I get into Iris, I must first offer the standard Instagram-on-the-iPad disclaimer: Instagram does not let you post photos via a third-party app. Thus, no third-party app offers full Instagram functionality. An app such as Iris, however, lets you view crisp, clear, and large Instagram photos on an iPad, along with a variety of fun and useful features, from commenting on and liking photos to sharing via Twitter and browsing photos by location on a map.… Read more