iOS 5 Primer: What you need to know

INDIANAPOLIS (WISH) - Apple has released a major upgrade to their mobile operating system for iPhones, iPads, and the iPod Touch called iOS 5.  While the upgrade itself contains over 200 improvements, here is a quick guide to the new and improved features that will have the greatest impact on the way you interact with your iDevice as well as simple instructions on how to smoothly perform the upgrade to iOS 5.

Notification Center
One of the most irritating features of iDevices has been the intrusive nature of the notification system.  In the past when a text message, a push message, or app notification was received, everything on your iDevice stopped as the blue messenger window took over your phone.  This is no longer the case with iOS 5 as all messages fade in and out quickly and are tucked neatly away into a convenient Notification Center that is easily accessed with one swipe from the top of your screen.

iCloud
One of the biggest changes to the operating system is one that you shouldn’t even notice.  iCloud is a free service offering 5GB of storage space ‘in the cloud’.  It doesn’t even matter if you understand what ‘the cloud’ is, as everything is handled by your iDevice transparently.  Your calendar, apps, contacts, photos, documents, and music are automatically shared and available to any other iDevice you own as well as any Mac or PC computers you have configured to access iCloud.

Wi-Fi Sync
Theoretically, the iOS 5 upgrade will bring an end to your need to always plug your iDevice into a computer.  Music, apps, contacts, documents, and photos will automatically sync using the iCloud service, which will also handle the backup and restore functionality of your iDevice.  Also, finally, the iDevices will also be able to receive software updates directly without syncing to a computer.

iMessage
iOS 5 replaces the old message application with iMessage.  Similar to the technology Blackberry users have enjoyed for years or instant messenger apps, iMessage allows users to send free text messages to any other iDevice.  You can follow your conversations from iDevice to iDevice and can send text, photos, locations, and contacts.

Parental Controls
Previous versions of iOS offered only the most basic of parental controls.  With iOS 5 parents can now manage almost everything their child can do with the iDevice.  Custom restrictions are available for Safari, Camera, FaceTime, Game Center, and YouTube, the App Store, and more.  Settings can be locked with a master password.  Parents can also use the new Find My Friends feature to keep tabs on where their children are at any given time.

Twitter Integration
Apple is taking social media seriously in this release of iOS.  The Twitter micro blogging platform is built into almost every feature of the new operating system.  Log into Twitter once and then share directly from Safari, Photos, Camera, YouTube, or Maps.  Your friends Twitter accounts are also saved in the contact list allowing you to easily address reply messages.

The Camera App
Your iDevice camera just got much easier to use.  You can now access the Camera app directly from the lock screen and use the volume up button as the shutter key.  iOS 5 also allows you to gain greater control over your photos by composing your image with onscreen grid lines , pinch zoom, and touch screen focus and exposure.

Photos
iOS 5 allows you to edit your images using cropping, rotating, red eye removal, and other enhancements directly from the Photos app.

Safari
Tabbed browsing finally comes to the Safari web browser on the iPad but the killer feature of this new version of Safari is the Reading List.  If you find an article on the web that you would like to read but don’t have the time, you can now save the article without ads or clutter to the Reading List.  You can then read the article later from any iCloud connected device.

Newsstand
Similar to the iBooks app on iOS 4, Newsstand allows you to subscribe to magazines and newspapers through the App store and have your daily reading materials at your fingertips.

Reminders
3rd party apps are available to create simple to do lists, but now iOS 5 bakes the Reminders app directly into the operating system.  Jot down a note, due date, and location on one iDevice and that reminder is now waiting for you, and can be edited on, every iDevice you own thanks to iCloud.

Game Center
With iOS 5 Apple adds many requested features to the popular gaming platform.  You can post a profile picture, get friend recommendations, and discover new games without ever leaving the app and a new overall achievement score lets you size up potential opponents on the spot.

Find My Friends
The new Find My Friends app allows you to locate your friends and associates with ease to schedule an impromptu meet up or long-term events.  Find My Friends can also be used in conjunction with the Parental Controls outlined previously, providing a powerful tool which parents can use to monitor their