Friday tips for iPhone users -- Organizing your apps and photos

Well, here's another topic about which Lyle said "please, please don't write about this. Everyone knows this already," but I argue that some of us didn't just figure it out and could use a little tip about it. In fact, someone asked me about organizing apps just last week (so, there). If this is old hat, please send me your tips for new iPhone users and go dunk me with SoDunked! If this could help you, read on.

Organizing the apps on your iPhone (I call it "jiggle" mode)

This one is pretty simple, but it took my kids to show me before I would have happened upon it. Put two fingers on the iPhone or iPod Touch screen at the same time for a moment or two--your icons will start to jiggle and a teeny "x" will appear on each icon. While the app icons are in "jiggle" mode, you can use your finger to drag one toward another and a folder will be created for you. You can label the folder "favorites" or "kid games" or whatever you want and drag in all the apps that are related so you can find them together and take up less screen space. To take something out of the folder, you drag the desired file out of the folder. You can also move the icons around the screen without putting them into folders. If you accidentally delete one, you can get it back when you reconnect to your iTunes account. To stop "jiggle" mode, just press the button (you know--the round button in the bottom front and center of your device).

Keeping your photos in separate albums

For this, I upload to my computer whatever photos and video are on my phone (using any software) since the last time I synched my iPhone with iTunes. I opt to "delete photos from device after uploading to computer" so that my phone doesn't fill up too much (I run out of space from keeping too many videos of silly kid or friend antics). Then, in a folder on my computer wherever the photos are stored, I create a folder called "favorites" or "keepers" (or both) and put a copy of each of my favorite 50 or 60 or 300 photos in that folder. I update that folder every time I take photos off of my phone or off of my standalone camera and onto my computer. Now, when you plug into your computer to synch itunes with your iPhone or iPod, choose to synch photos and browse to select the desired folder from your photos on the computer. It will create an "album" on your phone with the same name as the folder on your computer. It takes some time up front to review the pictures whenever I upload and then copy them to the "favorites" folder, but it is better than me not ever deleting any (of 4000) photos in order to save a few that I love and, as a result, filling up my device so that I can't add anything new. If this baffles you, go ask a teenager or visit a Genius at the Apple store. They can help you do it.

Don't forget to make a folder of favorite people to dunk and keep it updated, too (you could called it "my dunkees") and then dunk someone with SoDunked! today.