Wandering around BHS I see tons and tons of different iDevices – iPhones, iPad’s, and iPod Touches, which are probably the most popular. Every year or so, Apple makes a big update that they push out through iTunes, and this year it’s iOS 5. If you have read what it is on Apple’s website, or even cared to read the popup that came up before you downloaded it, this should all be pretty familiar; but really who does? I’m aiming this to be a quick guide to get you up to speed with your iDevice before iOS 6 comes out.

Updating- With previous versions of iOS you had to plug into iTunes to update; however once you have the new software, there’s no need to do this any more. You can simply go into your settings and select “update software” for anything the comes out after iOS 5.

P.C. Free- There are so many people that complain the second they get their new Apple gadget, they have to plug it into a computer to set it up. However, with iOS 5 you can set up the device right from the device itself – no computer required!

Notification Center- We all have notification texts, FaceTime calls, breaking news, e-mails, calendar appointments, Facebook status updates, etc… Now if you swipe down from the top of the screen (where the time is), you can see all of your notifications in one place. When a new one comes in, it won’t bother you (just a little banner on the top), so you can play Angry Birds without interruption.

iMessage- This is basically an app to send texts to other iDevice users for free. You know you’re sending an iMessage if the text is blue. Green means you’re texting a landline. (* This doesn’t work on iPads and iPod Touches).

Newsstand- If you like to read magazines and newspapers on your gadget, then it will popup in your “NewsStand.” The publication downloads in the background and shows up in the NewsStand folder, so you know where it is.

Reminders- This is a simple to-do list app, that even lets you have location-based reminders. This is great if you lose your agenda book.

Camera Enhancements- You can now double-click the Home button to get to the camera, pinch to zoom in and out of a picture, and use the volume up button as the shutter button (so you don’t need to tap the screen).

Photo Editing- For those of you who like to post pictures right to the internet, you can now crop, rotate, auto-enhance, and get rid of red-eye right from the device.

Safari- The new update allows for tabbed browsing for iPad users. For those who read or do research on the internet, you can hit the “Reader” button to clear out all of the ads and clutter on the page, so you can just focus on the text.

Twitter- Tweeting has never been easier. Just sign in once and you can tweet from anywhere (photos, YouTube, Safari, maps, and more) and optionally add your location.

Wi-Fi Sync- Just plug into power, and open iTunes on your computer and automatically let your device sync with iTunes (no cords required).

iPad Split Keyboard- This is cool. Next time you’re typing something on the iPad, grab your thumbs and pull the keyboard apart for a split keyboard. To make it go back, just pull your finger back together, or tap and hold the bottom right button and select merge and dock.

iPad Multitasking Gestures- With four or five fingers, swipe up to reveal the multitasking bar, pinch to return to the home screen, or swipe left and right to switch between apps.

There’s over 200 features in this update, and these are only just a few. Go to www.apple.com/ios/ for more info. Hope this makes “BYOT”ing just a little bit better. Happy Updating!