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Welcome back to Tech-Knowledgy, where your tech questions are answered!
Q. I think my roommate might be using my iPad behind my back. Other than fingerprinting the thing, is there any way for me to tell if he’s been using it?
A. Sorry to hear that about your roommate. I can understand him wanting to use your iPad, but he should ask first!
The first thing you should do is see which apps are open. Double click the home button and a toolbar will appear at the bottom of your screen. The apps that have been opened on your iPad will appear in the order they were opened, with the most recent app appearing on the left side of the toolbar. If there are any apps open that you haven’t used, or if the apps appear in a different order than the order in which you’ve used them, then someone else has been using your iPad. (While you have this toolbar open, close the apps to preserve battery life and help your iPad run smoothly. To find out how to close apps, see, Tech-Knowledgy: Facebook Etiquette, App Advice and More!)
Next, open Safari on your iPad and press the bookmark icon. You will see the top bookmark is History. Pressing this will show you which websites have been opened on Safari within the past week. If there are any websites you didn’t visit, then you know your iPad has been used by someone else.
Finally, check your high score on Angry Birds. If there is a new high score that you didn’t achieve, well, you can be sure that your iPad has been swiped!
Tech Tip
To be sure no one else uses your iPad, add a Passcode Lock. Go to Settings => General => Passcode Lock => Turn Passcode On. It’s kind of a pain to have to enter a passcode every time you use your iPad, so you might want to set it so that you are only required to enter the passcode after you have used your iPad for a certain period of time, like 15 minutes.
Q. I finally signed up for Twitter (am I the last one in the world to sign up?) but I can’t figure out how to Tweet. I feel kind of silly not being able to figure it out, but I really am liking Twitter and want to start tweeting to the world. I’m just all thumbs when it comes to tech!
A. I’m so glad you’re enjoying Twitter and you’re right, it’s even more fun when you send out tweets yourself!
Here is a screenshot of Twitter with a red arrow pointing to the box where you write your tweet:
The box will be on the upper left side of your screen. You have to be logged in to tweet and you should keep your tweets short, 140 characters maximum (spaces and punctuation count as characters).
Have fun tweeting! Feel free to leave your Twitter ID in the Comments section below if you would like Wonder of Tech readers to follow you on Twitter.
Q. Help! I accidentally deleted an email I wanted to keep. It was an invitation to a party and I didn’t think I could go, so I replied saying I couldn’t go and deleted the email with the invitation. Now it turns out I can go, but I deleted the email. I don’t want to ask her to re-send me the email, is there any way to get the email back in my inbox?
A. Good news, you should be able to retrieve your email. When you delete your emails, they end up in the Trash folder of your email account. Open the Trash folder and your deleted emails should appear there. Many email providers keep items in the Trash folder for only 30 days. If you deleted the email over 30 days ago, you still might be able to retrieve it since you sent a reply declining the invitation. Check your Sent folder to see if you can find the reply that you sent to your friend. Check to see if her email inviting you was included in the reply email you sent to her, if so, you’re all set. If not, you may just have to ask her to resend the email to you.
Email Tech Tip
Use the Search feature on your email to find old emails instead of scrolling through your Inbox, Sent folder, etc. Use keywords to focus your search. Also, see if you can filter the search by Sender, Subject, etc. Most email providers have such filters which makes it much easier to search old messages.
Have a tech question? Either post your question in the Comments section or email me at [email protected].
* Image by Pablo Sebastian Lizardo
** Image by David
*** Image by JASE Digital Media
Thanks for the email search tip. I also liked the farm app on your blog. Very helpful.
Hi Judy, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! I am very glad you are finding the blog helpful. Please let us know if you have any tech questions you would like answered at The Wonder of Tech!
I often use email search to find past email. I kept so many message since 1998 in my yahoo inbox. I can help to find it more quickly.
Hi dlysen, Welcome to The Wonder of Tech! Great comment, I agree, I find it very handy to search emails to find what I need. I thought my Yahoo email went back to about 1998 but I found my first email from Yahoo from 2001.
You gave me inspiration for the topic of the next Wonder of Tech poll. Check back Thursday to discover what you have inspired!
hahaha, Angry Birds! Looks like the whole world is playing this game 🙂 I have finished all stages and now I am waiting for the update. Great article! 🙂
Hi Lukas, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! Wow, very impressive for you to have finished every level of Angry Birds! Have you played all versions of the game, Rio, Season, etc.? Which is your favorite? You’re right, the world does seem to be playing this addictive game! 🙂
I love the iPad tips. When I finally buy an iPad I’m going to be using all these detective tips. I know that my wife and kids are going to be using it behind my back 🙂
Hi Jens, Welcome back to The Wonder of Tech! When you get your iPad you should put a password lock on it right away! I’m thinking the others in your family will be vying to use your new device often. 🙂