Another year, another operating system for your iOS device.

And boy, is this a sizeable upgrade. Depending on which generation of device you're rocking, this iteration offers everything from panoramic modes to Facebook calendars and even shareable Photo Streams.

So here are 20 quick-fire tips for exploring some of the new features of iOS 6, which go that bit further towards integrating your iPhone, iPad and iPod touch into your digital lifestyle.

• iOS 6 review

But before we start, make sure to back up your device to iCloud or iTunes, then you're safe to upgrade: with your device attached to your computer, hit the Check for Update button in the Version tab of iTunes, or simply tap into Settings > General > Software Update on the device in question, and we'll go from there.

1. Decline calls

This isn't the time for calls! If someone's ringing you and you don't want to take it, simply swipe up on the phone symbol next to Decline and Answer, and you can send a text or add a diary note to return the call. To define in advance a custom range of quick-fire texts, go to Settings > Phone > Reply with Message. That's all there is to it.

2. Do not disturb

You want to check out your iPhone's new OS without interruption, that's a given. So lay down a new rule by selecting Settings > Do Not Disturb. That moon by your clock means no more calls until you're ready to take them. Now let's crack on.

3. Send media from within Mail

Now you can insert a photo or video straight into the email you're currently composing. Just tap and hold in the body of the email for the contextual menu to appear, tap the rightmost arrow and select 'Insert Photo or Video'. From there you're free to search your Camera Roll and albums, find what you're after, and get attaching.

4. Mail VIPs

Anyone savvy to Mail in Mountain Lion will know about VIPs - important senders you define whose messages get sent to their own dedicated folder. Well now you can do the same in iOS 6. To define a sender as a VIP, tap their name in the sender field and tap Add to Vip. A star against the address signals their newfound prominence in your inbox.

5. Refresh your inbox

The way to refresh your inbox has changed. Just drag down past the latest email you've received and the refresh icon stretches. Release, and your messages are updated accordingly. Simple.

6. YouTube - gone!

As you may have noticed, the stock YouTube app has vanished from your iOS device. Hear Google CEO Larry Page seethe! He needn't worry. Some bods he employed saw to it that a free YouTube now appears in the App Store. Go there now and reinstate your favourite video portal to its rightful place.

7. Share Photo Streams

Now you can build folders of photos to share on the fly, with iOS 6's new Shared Photo Streams feature, turned on from Settings > iCloud > Photo Stream. Once enabled, tap into a section in the Photos app and hit edit, selecting images to include. Choose Share and you're presented with a menu that includes Photo Stream: tap it. From here you can tap in a recipient's email address, give the Stream a name and even define whether it's a Public Website or not. Next!

8. Apple Maps?

Google must be fuming: Apple also dropped its Maps app in favour of a home-grown version. Unfortunately, while it may look good and feel snappy, it lacks the deep search of Google's well-established geography. Still, the flyover feature is cool. Search a major city and go for a 3D trip by hitting the 3D icon where you see it (not available for all devices or cities).

9. Full-screen browsing

Safari now features a full-screen for web browsing. Just switch to landscape mode and tap the button with the outward-facing arrows for more online screen real estate.

10. Facebook integration

As with Twitter previously, Apple has promoted Facebook to the premier social network camp by allowing deep integration into iOS. To control that level more finely, go to Settings > Facebook and choose whether to allow the site access to your Calendar and Contact apps. With these functions turned on, you'll find Facebook Events and friends' birthdays appearing in your Calendar, as well as their Facebook photos populating your Contacts.

11. Tap to post

Pull down the Notification Center from the top of the screen and you'll notice two new buttons - Tap to Tweet and Tap to Post. Like it or not, that's the level of baked-in social media integration you can expect from iOS 6 onwards.

12. Web page search

Now you can search the current web page you're viewing using the default search engine bar next to the address bar - type in your search term and drag to the bottom where it tells you the number of matches on the page. Tap it and you can jump to the highlighted matches on the page in question.

13. Send more photos

Get into the Photos app and tap edit, then tap each photo you want to share as a group. Simply hit Share when you're happy and you can send them in an email, over Messages or via Facebook - the choice is yours...

14. Read it later offline

Got too much stuff to read online? Just tap the button in Safari with the arrow jumping out of it, and you can Add to Reading List. This makes the page available offline, and it syncs with Safari on your Mac and any other iOS devices you own, if you bought into that ecosystem.

15. Lost phone

If you activated Find my iPhone in Settings > iCloud, you can make use of Lost Mode. In the event that you lose your phone, log into icloud.com, select Find... and you may well be able to see where it is. Lost Mode lets you input a password and display a number on the phone screen for the finder to call.

16. Reskinned iTunes

The iTunes app has received an 'update'. But it's questionable whether it's lost more than it gained. By adopting a slicker but less content on screen, the app offers a more expansive view of your search results. But it's time to stop looking for podcasts and iTunes content in iTunes, for example - these now have their own apps. Go get them from the App Store now. Oh, and you can forget about Ping. We doubt you'll lose any sleep over it...

17. Privacy

Thankfully iOS 6 isn't all about sharing your life with the world. In Settings you'll see a new option called Privacy. Use it. There you can control any apps that attempt to access your Reminders, for example - swinging the social media frenzy back in your favour.

18. Sounding off

Want to select a special alert to distinguish it from your Calendar or Reminder Alerts? Sounds > Settings is where it's at; From Facebook alerts to tweets, you can define each one's sonic output here.

19. Panoramic feature

If you're the proud owner of an iPhone 5, 4S, or fifth-gen iPod touch, check out the new panoramic feature in the Camera app. Just move your device continuously when taking the panorama. For everyone else, go download Microsoft's free Photosynth app, pronto.

20. Bedtime!

So you've explored iOS some and now it's time for a bit of well-earned shut-eye. The good news is iOS 6 thought of this too. Remember Do Not Disturb? It goes deeper than you think. Tap into Settings > Notifications > Do Not Disturb and you can schedule a timeframe for its action. There's no need to fret about emergencies either - just allow your favourite Contacts through your phone call firewall, and block out everyone else. You can even turn Repeated Calls on to allow for any persistent types. Easy. See you again for iOS 7!

Source : techradar[dot]com

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com

One UK retailer has detailed how much the HTC 8X and HTC 8SWindows Phone 8 handsets will set you back when they land in November.

Having had its pricing confirmed with HTC UK, Unlocked Mobiles has opened its pre-orders, promising the HTC 8X for £398.98 and HTC 8S for £224.98.

We checked in with HTC ourselves and, while the company can't share pricing details, it implied that these prices weren't far outside the realms of reality.

November rain

The HTC 8X is also known by the less catchy moniker Windows Phone 8X by HTC, and is the company's flagship Windows Phone 8 handset.

It comes packing a couple of beefy amps with Beats Audio tech, as well as a 1.5GHz dual-core processor, 1GB of RAM and a 4.3-inch 720p HD Super LCD screen.

The 8S is the lesser of the two handsets, with a slightly smaller 4-inch screen, 1GHz dual-core processor and 5MP rear-mounted camera.

Both handsets are expected to get their official release in November, with the HTC 8X expected slightly earlier than the 8S.

Until then, read our very early preliminary thoughts in our eyes-on HTC 8X review.

Source : techradar[dot]com

The first glimpses of the EE network for Orange and T-Mobile users have been seen in the wild, with the expected move on to a new network identifier rolling out.

When Everything Everywhere, the company behind Orange and T-Mobile announced its new 4G network EE (stay with us), it signalled that users of its subsidiaries would start to see EE.

As we reported at the launch of EE: "Customers currently on T-Mobile or Orange will notice the network tag on their handsets will change to say EE in the coming weeks and months, with all devices receiving the new brand name before Christmas."

iOS 6

And TechRadar can confirm that this is beginning to roll out across the UK, with an iPhone 4 on the latest iOS 6 showing the EE branding in London.

EE will primarily be known as the first network to offer up 4G, the next generation mobile technology that will bring with it faster speeds.

The iPhone 5 will be one of the handsets that supports EE's 4G network and its arrival on Friday will bring a groundswell of people on Orange and T-Mobile, but also other networks, who will look to move onto EE when it launches.

There is no launch date given for the 4G portion of EE, but our money remain on October or November, with the service sure to arrive in 2012.

Source : techradar[dot]com

Source : digitaltrends[dot]com