From USA Today’s Tech Now with Jennifer Jolly (click here to watch the video):

You already know how to make yourself look good in the real world — or at least try: a bit of hair product, an outfit that compliments your eyes, and your favorite shoes are a good start. But shining up your digital self can be a bit trickier. Your Facebook profile is almost always your most visible virtual self, so here are a few insider tricks to keep in mind whether you hope to be loved by all or simply want to keep your friends and family from pretending they don’t know you.

PUT YOUR BEST FACE FORWARD

Your Facebook account is like a living person, and its face is your profile picture. It’s the first thing other people see about you and it can instantly make either a good impression or a bad one.

Keep your profile picture free of anything offensive. For example, downing a giant mug of beer or wearing an obnoxiously skimpy Halloween costume might not bode too well with a future boss, significant other, or even some of your own relatives. But don’t be afraid to add some personality. A charming photo from a recent vacation, getaway, or otherwise happy times are your best bet for giving your digital face a good vibe.

Don’t forget to give your cover photo a similar treatment. Any scenic photos you happen to have will do fine, but you get huge bonus points if it matches your profile photo. Just get back from the beach? How about a smiling profile photo of you with the ocean at your back and a cover photo of the beach? That’s a perfect combination that will not only get smiles from your friends, and let visitors know you put some thought into your social presence.

When something changes in your appearance — like a drastically new hair style or a shiny new pair of glasses — make sure you update your digital “face” as well. Your profile photo should be as close to a current representation of you as possible. One of my most liked photos of all time? Nope, not a photo of me and someone famous. Not a photo of the Grand Canyon. It was a photo of a new haircut, me showing the world my new bangs.

VIRTUAL VOICE LESSONS

If your profile photo is your face, then your posts are most definitely your voice. That means you don’t want them to be annoying, obnoxious, or over-the-top.

Your Facebook posts should be timely and relevant. If you’re just catching up on a TV show from the ’80s, that’s probably not the kind of thing your digital comrades are going to care too much about, so keep it fresh. Tell your friends about a new book you just read or an album you discovered that they might not have heard about. Share funny moments in your daily life, and make sure your digital self has a good sense of humor.

Every time you post a comment, remember everyone who may see it. Posting risqué details about a recent party or disparaging comments about your boss will probably end up being read by people who shouldn’t be seeing it. Keeping your voice positive and professional at all times is your best bet.

YOUR ONLINE GOODIE BAG

Your Facebook profile is more than just your online eyes and ears; It’s also a collection of everything that is important to you. Pages you’ve “Liked” in the past never leave your profile unless you make them. If you’ve been on the social network for more than a couple of years, your tastes have likely changed, and so should your likes!

Browse through any old Music, Movies, TV, and other media pages you’ve liked in the past and make sure it represents present-day you. This is also a great time to add some new pages you may have forgotten about. If someone visits your profile page and sees that the newest show you’ve liked is half a decade old, it’s a dead giveaway that you’ve been phoning in your virtual personality.

DON’T DISAPPEAR!

The single greatest mistake many social network users make is devoting themselves to their digital lives in fits and starts. Don’t post 10 times today and disappear for the next two weeks or you’re going to become an instant candidate for de-friending.

Keep a consistent presence, and don’t overdo it. If you feel like you have a lot to say today, maybe you should save half of it for tomorrow. If you overwhelm your friends and then vanish mysteriously, there’s a good chance they’ll eventually grow tired of it.

But whatever you do, have fun with your digital self! Facebook turn you into whoever you want to be, so make that person someone worth knowing.

Posted in TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news

From USA Today’s Tech Now with Jennifer Jolly (click here to watch the video):

Did you know that your cherished iPhone hides secrets from you? That’s right, a simple nod of the noggin could shift the way you use this precious gadget.

Apple’s iPhone is a revolutionary gizmo that has changed the mobile landscape forever, but even if you’ve had one for years, there are still a few things you probably don’t know about it. Each major update that Apple rolls out — and there have been many — brings new features and changes. Here are just a few of the things you’ve likely missed along the way.

1. CONTROL YOUR PHONE WITH YOUR HEAD

The iPhone is a “smartphone,” but it might be even smarter than you ever thought. There is a special control option built into it that lets you use tilts of your head to perform various functions. It’s part of a feature called Switch Control, and you can enable it in the Accessibility menu of the iPhone settings.

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You can set up a Switch Control command to notice when you tilt your head to the left or to the right, and use that movement as input for things like pressing the home button or checking the notification center. It’s built into the phone to assist those with certain disabilities, but it can also be convenient for controlling your device when your hands are busy with other tasks — like when you’re wrist-deep in dinner preparation, and don’t want to get goo on your gadgets.

2. UNDO TYPOS WITH A QUICK SHAKE

Tapping quickly on a tiny screen with our big ole’ clumsy thumbs means typos are an annoying and inevitable part of life. So rather than send texts laden with errors, just give your iPhone a little shake, as I show you in the accompanying Tech Now video. That motion brings up a prompt to undo the typing or cancel and continue. It also works if you accidentally select, copy or paste text you didn’t want to. Seems so simple, yet can be so satisfying, when it comes to dealing with this daily digital dilemma.

3. A BURST OF CREATIVITY

Taking an important photo only to have it turn out poorly is one of the most frustrating things in the world, but you can greatly increase the chances of capturing the moment perfectly by using your iPhone’s burst photo feature.

Normally when you take a photo you simply tap the on-screen capture button, which produces just a single photo, but if you hold down the button you’ll automatically activate burst mode. Using burst mode, your phone will capture a ton of photos in rapid succession, and save them in a small gallery. Taking photos this way ensures that between the inevitable blinks and giggles, you’ll snag a perfect photo.

4. LOCATION-BASED REMINDERS

Have you ever gotten home and realized that you forgot to pick something up from the store? How about arriving at a relative’s house and remembering that you have something for them back at home? Believe it or not, your iPhone can help with this common occurrence using its Reminders app, one of the most underutilized iPhone functions.

All you need to do is set up a Reminder as you normally would — and if you’ve never set up a reminder before, it takes just a few seconds — and then tap on the information icon that pops up. From this menu you can activate the location feature, which will use the iPhone’s GPS to notify you of the reminder whenever you enter or leave a specific location. It’s like having a personal assistant with you at all times!

5. BLOCK PESKY CALLERS AND MESSENGERS

Is there a telemarketer who just doesn’t get the hint to leave you alone? What about a texting service that you accidentally gave your number to, that buzzes you at all hours of the day and night? You can easily block those annoying communications using your iPhone!

Head into the Phone menu of your iPhone settings and add any offending numbers to the Blocked list. That’s it! Now, if the bothersome calls and texts continue, you’ll never hear a peep. Peace of mind at last.

What are some of the magic tricks you use on your iPhone? Be sure to let us know.

Posted in Great Gadgets, TechNow, Tips & Tricks, Top tech news